


Behind The Curtain

by RichardGraysonPercyJackson



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Assassination Plot(s), Bloodshed, Character Death, Crime Boss Bruce Wayne, Dark Bruce Wayne, Dark Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson Has Issues, Dick Grayson-centric, Everyone Has Issues, Everyone is Dead, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Insomnia, Jason Todd Has Issues, Kinda, Lies, M/M, Major Illness, Medication, Mental Instability, Mentioned Artemis Crock, Mood Disorder, Murder, Paranoid Personality Disorder, Probably a little OOC, Psychosis, Sad Ending, Schizophrenia, Secrets, Sort Of, Violence, Violent Thoughts, but its an AU so its fine, he's my fave, more characters probably, no happy ending, violent bat family AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:33:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 35
Words: 29,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26222701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RichardGraysonPercyJackson/pseuds/RichardGraysonPercyJackson
Summary: There were several things that stuck as fact in Gotham City.Bruce Wayne had diplomatic immunity.Damian Wayne was the blood son.Tim Drake was the smart one.Jason Todd was the face of the company heir.And Dick Grayson was fucking crazy.
Relationships: Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson, Roy Harper/Koriand'r
Comments: 216
Kudos: 318





	1. Everyone Knows

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is kinda long but most chapters are kinda short just because I got to a point where they could nicely end and didn't want to add more
> 
> tags potentially change each chapter
> 
> Ages:
> 
> Dick - 21
> 
> Jason - 19
> 
> Tim - 15
> 
> Damian - 13

There had always been rumors circulating the Wayne family, even before the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne. But there were several things that stuck as fact in Gotham City.

Bruce Wayne had diplomatic immunity.

Damian Wayne was the blood son.

Tim Drake was the smart one.

Jason Todd was the  _ face _ of the company heir.

And Dick Grayson was fucking crazy.

Anyone who tried to challenge him or so much as looked at him in a way he didn’t like would find their corpse washed up in Gotham Bay the next day while dear old Dickie got an upped dose on a medication that didn’t even work.

………………………………….

“The voices again?”

Dick didn’t dignify the question with a response, keeping his gaze on the punching bag in front of him.

**_You should kill him. How_ ** **dare** **_he think he have any right to know anything about what’s going on in your head?_ **

Dick grit his teeth, pouring his anger and rage into each strike from his fists. His knuckles were bleeding - he hadn’t bothered to wrap them - but he couldn’t give less of a shit.

“You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“Too late,” another voice commented.

Dick growled, turning to find Jason and Tim watching him from the doorway of the gym, both clad in pajamas though Jason was lacking his shirt for whtever fucking reason.

The bright red scratch marks on his arms kind of gave way to what he’d been doing to lose it.

“Fuck you,” Dick snarled.

Tim heaved a tired sigh, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palm. “Come on, Dick.”

Dick sneered, easily roundhouse kicking the punching bag and sending it flying from the chain and sliding across the gym floor. He turned back around as Jason began slowly clapping his hands together while Tim moved off to find the first aid kid.

“What are you doing up?” Dick demanded as he walked over towards Jason, crossing his arms over his chest, heedless of the blood from his knuckles smearing over anything he accidently brushed.

“Came for the show,” Jason replied with a grin.

Dick didn’t believe him. “Lie,” he called out.

Jason chuckled, shaking his head fondly. “You can always tell, can’t you Dickie?” he asked fondly.

“Tell me the truth,” Dick demanded.

Jason shifted, bringing one hand up to absently scratch at his forearm until Dick gently took his wrist and drew his nails away from the skin.

“Bugs,” Jason said, short and sweet, glancing down at his skin.

Dick heaved a sigh, shaking his head as the voice started up again.  **_He’s compromised. He’s not thinking straight. Now is the time to strike, to kill him._ **

_ He’s also paranoid.  _ Dick reminded them.  _ He’s going to expect an attack. _

**_But not from you. He trusts you._ **

_ Which is exactly why he’ll expect one from me. _

When Dick dragged himself out of his head, he sighed when he noted Jason had scratched his skin raw enough to draw blood.

“Have you been taking your medication?” he asked. 

Jason scowled. “I can’t,” he hissed.

Dick nodded, having expected that. He didn’t bother to press on it, knowing Jason already had a lecture coming for him from Alfred and maybe Bruce once Dick ran and tattled on him. Putting Jason to the side in his list of important things to deal with, Dick turned as Tim approached.

“And why are you up?”

“Insomnia,” Tim replied shortly.

Dick nodded, stomping down the lick of jealousy that flared up his spine at the statement as he and Jason followed Tim out of the gym and to the kitchen. It wasn’t that Dick was  _ always _ jealous of Tim, because he wasn’t. He was just always jeal...he just hated the reminder that of the three of them, Tim was the most normal.

Well, technically that was Damian since the thirteen year old didn’t have a single mental illness diagnosed -  **_yet_ ** \- but that was besides the point. Of the three of them, Tim had the most easily handleable illness. Not that any of them really considered Insomnia an illness.

Oh sure, they respected it was. But compared to Dick’s Schizophrenia and Jason’s Paranoid Personality Disorder and Delusional Parasitosis, Insomnia was a fucking delight.

“Dick?” Tim asked gently, carefully prompting the older out of his head. “Can I bandage your knuckles?”

Dick glanced over and noted Tim had already bandaged Jason’s arms though the other was already slowly raking his nails over his chest. With a sigh, Dick nodded and offered his hands to Tim while gently nudging Jason’s ankle with his foot.

“Stop it,” he lectured. “Or I’ll tell Bruce.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “You’ll tell Bruce either way,” he pointed out.

Dick narrowed his eyes but didn’t say anything. It was too late at night/early in the morning to have a meltdown and he was sure Bruce wasn’t going to appreciate being woken up at fuck o’clock in the morning because Dick couldn’t keep his rage in check.

“How about we watch a movie since I doubt any of us will get anymore sleep,” Tim suggested carefully, keeping an eye on Dick, watching for signs of a meltdown. Dick hated that, hted that fucking  _ everyone  _ walked on goddamn eggshells around him.

He sucked in a breath and felt Jason tense next to him. His hands were shaking and he had to close his eyes tightly, swallowing down the scream bubbling up in his throat.

“Dick, I’m not trying to be mean,” Tim soothed, hands gentle as he kept the contact against Dick’s skin short and precise, making sure to touch Dick as little as possible. “I just figured we should try to find something else to do since I don’t think any of us are going to sleep.”

Dick still really wanted to scream and he knew if he opened his mouth, that’s exactly what was going to happen. So he merely pressed his lips together and nodded. Tim gave him a small smile before turning his attention down to finish bandaging Dick’s knuckles.

………………….

Dick was better in the morning when they all sat down at the breakfast table, Jason with long sleeves to cover the bandages.

“Does someone want to tell me what happened?”

Dick and Jason shared glances before they looked over at Bruce. Dick still felt like there was a scream trapped in his chest and he didn’t trust himself to speak and so he kicked Jason under the table.

Scowling, Jason replied for both of them. “What do you mean?”

“I checked the manor cameras this morning,” Bruce explained, still hidden behind the newspaper. “Dick was in the gym, Jason was scratching himself raw and Tim…” he flipped the top of the paper down to shoot Tim a look. “Good work, Tim.”

Dick bit his tongue hard to fight down the growing rage, dropping his hands into his lap as he fought down the urge to just start screaming and never fucking  _ stop _ .

“Just a bad night,” Jason replied, shrugging.

Bruce hummed, slowly folding up his newspaper and setting it to the side. “Jason,” he said calmly. “Have you been taking your medication?”

Jason pressed his lips together before slowly shaking his head. “They could be dangerous, Bruce,” he insisted. “How do you know they’re the right pills?”

“Because I trust the doctor who prescribed them and the pharmacist who got them for you,” Bruce explained gently. “And I trust that they wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.” Jason squirmed and opened his mouth to argue but he was cut off by Bruce. “Jason.”

Jason slumped in his seat. “But what if?” he whispered.

Bruce sighed, a small smile on his face. “Nothing is going to happen, Jason,” he soothed as Alfred arrived with everyone’s breakfast along with Dick and Jason’s medications. “I promise.”

Jason still looked skeptical but did take his medication, albeit reluctantly. Once he was sure Jason really had swallowed it and wasn’t just holding it under his tongue to spitting it out when he looked away, Bruce turned to Dick.

“The voices?” he asked.

Dick wanted to beat his face in. He did not reply, not even a nod or shake of his head. His hands trembled where they stayed in his lap since he didn’t trust himself not to reach for a knife and “accidentally” stab Bruce in the face.

Bruce nodded knowingly as he stood. “Follow me,” he ordered, standing and walking away. Dick narrowed his eyes, fighting past the haze of rage as he stood and followed Bruce down to the cave.

“You obviously need to hit something,” Bruce commented as he set up the punching bag meant for Superman. “So go.”

Dick glared at Bruce a bit longer before stepping forward and allowing every inch of rage to flood into strength. As he attacked the punching bag with everything he had, some distant part of his mind commented that Bruce hadn’t made him bandage his knuckles.

Usually Bruce was a stickler for that though Dick mused it was useless this morning. He’d already fucked up his knuckles the night before, what was the harm in making them worse?

He wasn’t sure how long they stayed there, Dick beating the everloving shit out of the bag before he finally took a deep breath, taking a few moments to breathe and relax.

He still felt like he needed to scream but it wasn’t as bad. He always felt like he needed to scream so this level was just normal. He looked over when Bruce approached. With a nod, the billionaire held out a hand.

“May I touch you or will it set you off?” he asked gently.

Dick hesitated, unsure, before tentatively placing his hand in Bruce’s. When his skin didn’t crawl and his vision didn’t fade to red, Dick looked back up at Bruce and nodded.

With a nod in return, Bruce spoke. “I have a meeting with Lex Luthor today but I also need to keep an eye on a few criminals who might make a move tonight. Therefore, Jason will be attending the meeting with Luthor in my stead.”

“Why are you telling me?” Dick asked in a quiet voice.

“Luthor is corrupt,” Bruce replied. “He knows Jason is paranoid and I believe he intends to use that to his advantage.”

“You think he’ll try to manipulate Jason to take the company from him,” Dick concluded.

“Yes, I do,” Bruce replied. “And that’s where  _ you _ come in, Dick. Everyone knows you’re unstable. People fear you. All you have to do is go along, ensure Jason doesn’t accidently sell the company, and keep Luthor in line. Can you do that?”

Dick hummed softly. “Yes,” he replied.

Bruce smiled, reaching out to pat Dick’s cheek. “Good boy,” he praised. “Go.”


	2. The City Fears You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick and Jason meet with Luthor and Dick's insanity shows itself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as mentioned before, most chapters are really short

“I wasn’t aware I’d be meeting with both of you,” Luthor said in a weakly polite voice.

Dick remained silent where he was seated in a chair slightly in the back corner of Bruce’s office, one leg slung over the other as he quietly read the book in his lap.

“Dick is just here as a second set of eyes on Bruce’s end,” Jason said with a smile, hands clasped together atop the sleek mahogany desk.

“I see,” Luthor said slowly, glancing over at Dick before forcing himself to look at Jason again. He cleared his throat and smiled. “And where is Mr. Wayne today?”

“Busy,” Dick said shortly, never looking up from his book.

“Right,” Luthor muttered. “So, Mr. Todd, did Mr. Wayne inform you of what I came to discuss?”

“You’ve got a new shiny toy and you want Wayne Industries’ name on it, even though you’ll get eighty percent of the profits while Wayne Industries gets ten,” Dick recited, turning a page in his book. “The other ten percent goes to charity.”

“Mr. Grayson, I was unaware that  _ you _ were now acting as heir,” Luthor said in a hot voice. His blood and bravado ran cold when Dick slowly lifted his head.

“Excuse me?” Dick asked, voice empty and toneless. He slowly closed his book as he stood and out of the corner of his eye, Luthor saw Jason shrink back slightly.

It was no secret that Dick Grayson was unstable. Piss him off and you’ll lose your life. He was quick to anger and even quicker to murder, something everyone knew but very few people remembered until it was too late.

“Forgive me, Mr. Grayson,” Luthor said with a weak laugh. “I misspoke.”

“Did you?” Dick asked. “Funny because that sounded a lot like disrespect to me. Wouldn’t you agree, Jason?”

“I would, yes,” Jason replied, nodding quickly.

Dick gave Luthor a far too gentle smile, considering his reputation and previous threat to his words.

“Jason,” he said sweetly. “Will you step outside please?”

Jason nodded, getting to his feet and excusing himself from the office as quickly as possible without making it evident he was rushing. As soon as the doors clicked shut behind him, Luthor was speaking.

“You don’t need to kill me, Mr. Grayson,” he rushed to say as Dick loomed over him, eyes dark with a threat lying just behind the blue. “I assure you, I misspoke. I meant no disrespect and it won’t happen again.”

“I’ve heard that one before,” Dick said. “And you know what happened to those people?”

Luthor’s mind flashed back to the known sex offendered who had washed up dead on the shores of Gotham Bay one month earlier, his death overshadowed by a front page notice that Dickie Grayson had had another fit and was seen being taken to the hospital the night before.

“I have a very strong idea, yes,” Luthor replied weakly.

“You’ll get Wayne Industries’ name on your product and in return, we split the profits forty-forty,” Dick decided, picking up a pen and scribbling it down on Luthor’s own notepad. “The other twenty percent goes to charity.”

“Sounds perfect, Mr. Grayson,” Luthor said with a smile, standing as soon as Dick had straightened up out of his personal space. “I’ll schedule a meeting with the secretary to discuss it more in depth once the product is near completion.”

“You do that, Mr. Luthor,” Dick said with a bright smile. “It was a pleasure talking to you.”

“And to you as well.”

…………….

“You didn’t kill him,” Jason commented as he stepped back into the office.

“No, I didn’t,” Dick mused quietly, fingers twitching where his hands were clasped behind his back as he stood before the large floor to ceiling windows of Bruce’s office, gazing out over the city. “Jason, what’s the secretary's name?”

“Samantha.”

“Go get her.”

Jason sighed softly, shaking his head as he turned to call Samantha into the office.

……………..

“ _ I presume the meeting went well?”  _ Bruce asked as soon as he picked up the call.

“Yep,” Dick replied, seated on the edge of Bruce’s desk with the phone held between his ear and shoulder as he picked at the flakes on his hand. “Profits split forty-forty with twenty percent to charity.”

“ _ So Luthor’s still breathing then?” _

Dick gave his confirmation. “You’ll need a new secretary.” he added after a moment of thought.

Bruce sighed softly, shaking his head even though he’d expected as much. “ _ How much blood? _ ”

“Probably best to just get a cleaner in here,” he mused, looking over the crimson stained office.

Bruce nodded, making a mental note to hire their personal cleaner who was scared shitless of Dick. The best way to get him to keep his mouth shut about what he’d had to clean up was just to plop Dick somewhere in the room.

Really, the best way for anyone to give Bruce what he wanted was just to keep Dick in the same room. Didn’t matter if he was watching or reading, his mere presence was enough to tip the scales in Bruce’s favor and the mob boss tended to frequently use that to his advantage when it seemed like things wouldn’t go as he wanted.

_ “Any plans for the rest of the day?”  _ he asked.

“Don’t think I do,” Dick confirmed. He glanced over at Jason who was looking at the blood with a sad expression. “Jason?”

“Yes?”

“Plans?”

Jason paused, thinking it over. “Doctor’s appointment,” he replied.

Dick repeated as much to Bruce, listening to the man’s reply before looking over at Jason.

“Bruce says to cancel it.”

“It’s within the twenty-four hours though,” Jason said weakly. “They’ll get mad.”

“Nah,” Dick replied. “They know who you are which means they know who I am. They won’t get mad. And if they do, just tell them I’ll be stopping by.”

Jason nodded as he pulled out his phone. As he made the call, Dick turned back to his own conversation.

“I don’t really have plans,” he said. “But I really want to get fucked tonight.”

_ “You have patrol.” _

“I can do it before patrol.”

Bruce laughed fondly. “ _ With who, Dick? The city is terrified of you.” _

“With that logic, I can have anyone I want,” Dick retaliated with a grin. “But no, I’ll just call Deathstroke.”

There was a light growl in Bruce’s throat. “ _ I don’t trust him, Dick.” _

“I don’t really care,” Dick replied with a shrug. 

Bruce heaved a long sigh. “ _ Richard-” _

“Bye-bye, Brucie.”

Dick knew he’d be getting a punishment later, for hanging up on Bruce, but he didn’t really care so he merely slipped his phone into his pocket.

“I’m going to go get fucked,” Dick declared, giving Jason a salute. “You can tidy up here?”

Jason cast a look around the bloody office. “I think I’ll just leave it for the cleaner, actually,” he mumbled.

“Wise choice,” Dick praised, clapping Jason on the back and tugging the other into his side. “Come on, let’s head out. We shouldn’t leave Timmy home alone too long.”


	3. Damian Wayne-Al Ghul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From the moment he’d been born, Damian had known his role. When he grew old enough, he would take his father’s place as ruler of Gotham’s Elite and Gotham’s underworld.
> 
> His father was Batman.   
> His father was Bruce Wayne.  
> His father was all powerful.

From the moment he’d been born, Damian had known his role. When he grew old enough, he would take his father’s place as ruler of Gotham’s Elite and Gotham’s underworld.

His father was Batman. His father was Bruce Wayne. His father was all powerful.

On top of glorious stories regarding his father and the man’s climb to power, Damian had also grown up hearing stories of his father’s - rather pathetic - pets masquerading as children.

The first was Richard John Grayson, a circus boy who heard voices in his head and was Gotham’s little sweetheart. Day in and out, Damian dreamed of slitting the older boy’s throat, watching him choke in his blood under Damian’s hard gaze.

The second was Jason Peter Todd, a lowly street rat who had been taken in by his father in a moment of weakness. Todd was paranoid which might help him survive a mere few seconds longer than Grayson but in the end, he too would fall to Damian’s blade.

Timothy Jackson Drake was the newest. He too came from the elite, such as Damian’s father, and perhaps Damian could keep him around. It simply depended on how useful he would be, of course, but if he was going to argue with Damian when he took his true place as Batman, then he’d have to go too.

For years Damian had studied them, learned their weaknesses and strengths. Practiced and prepared to slaughter them in their sleep when they were most vulnerable.

When he arrived on American soil with his mother for the first time, he found himself slightly disappointed upon meeting his father. He’d been raised on stories of the Batman and found himself dispirited to learn the man was not as tall, not as larger than life as he had been led to believe. Still, he kept his mouth shut and bided his time.

He would give them a week with him in their home, a week to let down their guard before he slaughtered them.

So of course you can imagine his surprise when he was called into his father’s office on the morning of the day he planned to end his so called brothers.

“So, Damian.”

“Yes, father?”

His father sighed. How pathetic, showing weakness. How he had ever managed to keep Gotham running was lost on Damian. Still, he said nothing and instead stayed quiet and patient, waiting.

“I never knew you existed.” Blunt. At least his father didn’t beat around the bush, that would have grated on Damian’s nerves far more than truth.

“I had suspected as much,” he replied honestly. “Does this mean you will be sending me home?”

His mother had planned for that and in the event that his father attempted to send him away, Bruce Wayne would have to fall with his pets as well.

“Originally, yes,” Bruce replied, clasping his hands together atop his desk. “However…”

Damian waited quietly but when his father didn’t go on, he prompted, “However?”

Bruce chuckled. “Dick seems convinced that we have to keep you,” he replied, a small smile on his face as he no doubt recalled the conversation he’d evidently held with his eldest some time earlier. “He already considers you his brother and wants to hand the mantle of Robin over to you as soon as possible.”

He did? Hm, it seemed Grayson was not as empty headed and pathetic Damian had originally assumed. Perhaps the older boy would have more use than Damian had thought.

“I accept.”

“It’s not quite that easy, Damian,” his father said calmly. Damian tried not to scowl. Of course it wasn’t and the longer the conversation drew on, the more it became clear that his father would have to go too.

Pity, Damian had hoped to keep him.

“Then how does it work, father?”

“You’ll have a trial patrol with us tonight,” his father explained. “If you pass our tests, then we’ll talk about giving you Robin.”

Damian pressed his lips together. He hadn’t planned on staying long enough for patrol but perhaps one extra day couldn’t hurt.

“Very well,” he agreed. “I accept.”

………………………………………

Richard Grayson was not as his mother had said.

Jason Todd was not as his mother had said.

Timothy Drake...was exactly as his mother had said.

Damian was silent when they returned to the cave, Todd idly scratching at his arm - leather jacket tossed over his shoulder and sleeves rolled up to bare his forearms - Drake typing away at one of his many devices and Grayson…

Grayson soaked in blood and beaming like a child on christmas.

“Mother said you were weak,” Damian declared the moment Grayson had stepped out of the showers, skin pink but no longer crimson with blood. “That you were pathetic. Crippled with the voices in your head.”

“Your point?” Grayson asked, eyes sparkling.

“She did not say you were insane.”

Grayson beamed, reaching down to ruffle Damian’s hair, ignoring the way the younger tried to bat his hand away.

“Aw.” he laughed. “Thanks little D.” something changed in his eyes, blue orbs turning cold and threatening as the smile dropped from his face. “Keep that in mind before you try anything.”

Damian liked Grayson, he decided as he watched the older boy walk away. He liked him very much.


	4. Secret Patrol Project

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick gets fucked and Jason and Tim discuss the eldest bird's mental state

“Do you like pain, boy?”

Dick grinned up at Slade as arousal licked over his spine, unabashedly spreading his legs as the mercenary descended down upon him. The older man chuckled, bracketing Dick with his arms on either side of the acrobat’s head. “That was a genuine question,” he said when Dick surged up to nip at his bottom lip.

“Was it?” Dick asked, lust in his voice as he drew Slade closer by simply wrapping his legs around the mercenary’s waist. “Mm. Don’t you know I’ve killed men for less?”

“I do know,” Slade confirmed. “I’ve seen your work first hand.”

“And?”

“Does your brother know you killed his parents?”

“Which brother?”

“How many brothers do you have?”

“Three.”

“And how many have parents you’ve killed?”

“Two.”

“I was referring to Timothy.”

Dick hummed, walking his fingers up along Slade’s shoulder to tangle in the mercenary’s hair, tugging lightly.

“Not yet,” he confirmed. “Bruce didn’t think it was the right time.”

“And when will it ever be the right time?” Slade asked.

“When Bruce says,” Dick replied, thrusting his leaking cock against Slade’s abs, desperate for friction and not giving a shit if he was the only one who got off that night. “But preferably when I’m long and dead.”

“Because you know Timothy will fight back.”

“He won’t stand a chance against me,” Dick replied casually. “Blood makes him nauseous.”

Slade hummed, gripping Dick’s hips and shoving the boy down, pinning him to the bed when Dick tried again to thrust up into Slade.

“Don’t think you’ll get away with that,” Slade purred, even though the darkness in this beautiful boy below him was something that always got Slade hard, no matter the situation he found himself in.

He’d give the boy the world, if he could.

“Why not?” Dick asked, batting his eyes. “You’d let me, if I asked.”

“ _ Are _ you asking?”

Dick grinned.

…………………

“You look happy,” Tim noted when Dick strolled into the batcave later that night.

“I’m always happy,” Dick replied.

Damian snorted. “That’s a lie,” he muttered under his breath.

“He got fucked,” Jason supplied as Dick waltzed over and took a seat beside Damian.

“Too much information,” Damian declared, leaning away from the acrobat. “That’s disgusting, Grayson.”

Dick only flashed a predatory smile. Damian shivered, recognizing the warning, the  _ threat _ , behind that seemingly innocent expression. “Forgive me,” he said, strained. “Your reasons for happiness are none of my business.”

“Focus,” Bruce snapped as he strolled into the cave, already dressed and suited up. “Jason, Damian, Tim, go get ready. Dick, we need to talk.”

“Yes sir,” Dick chirped, bounding over to Bruce eagerly. “What’s up?”

“I have a special project for you tonight,” Bruce replied.

Dick grinned. “I’m all ears.”

…………………..

There had always been rumors circulating Batman and his flock of Robins, even long before the first Robin ever came along. But there were several things that stuck as fact in Gotham City.

Batman ran the city

Robin was his son

Red Robin was  _ mostly _ harmless

Red Hood was the cause of most fires after nine PM

And Nightwing was just as psychopathic as the people he fought.

Batman didn’t kill. That much everyone knew, everyone  _ banked on _ . 

But Nightwing? 

Heaven help you if he caught you because he was nowhere near as merciful as Batman. If you want a quick death, you pray for the Red Hood to find you.

The Nightwing symbol meant one thing in Gotham City: A slow and torturous death. 

If you were unlucky enough for Nightwing to catch you, your death was often made more painful by the arrival of Robin, come to watch and offer tips to the first bird as the older boy peeled your skin away from your body with a delight to rival the Joker.

Gotham City’s curfew was eight PM, one hour before Batman and his flock would appear from the shadows, racing across rooftops.

God help you if they caught you. 

Batman didn’t kill. He left that job to his sons.

……………….

“So what was the special project B gave you?” Red Robin asked a few hours into patrol, seated on the roof of the cathedral with Nightwing, gazing out across the city.

“Paint the city red,” Nightwing replied, flashing his brother a grin.

Red Robin didn’t fall for it. “What was the  _ real _ project?”

Nightwing laughed fondly, reaching over to tousle Red’s hair. “Top secret,” he replied.

Red scowled. “He never tells any of us anything. He’s playing favorites.”

“B has always played favorites,” Nightwing told him, pushing himself up to stand on his hands, legs crossed at the ankles.

“Not that you ever have to deal with that,” Red mumbled. “You’re his favorite.”

“I’m sure that’s not entirely true,” Nightwing said as he dropped back to sitting normally next to his brother. “The voices and I just get more results than everyone else.”

“That's why he trusts you with secret patrol projects, right?”

“Yeppers,” Nightwing chirped, swinging his legs back and forth with a bright smile.

“Did you finish the project?”

“It’s multi-step,” Nightwing replied. “But I finished my part for tonight. Easy enough, just had to get in touch with an old friend.”

Nightwing’s old friends were usually older men who were just as bloody and murderous as he was.

“Is it someone from Spyral?” Red asked. He hoped it wasn’t. Spyral had once been a powerful organization and employed the only people he’d ever known to be capable of beating Nightwing down.

Of course, Nightwing had retaliated and most Spyral agents were dead save for one or two who had won Nightwing’s praise, but that wasn’t the point.

“It is,” Nightwing replied. “You remember Tiger, right?”

Red  _ did _ remember Tiger. Who could forget? Tiger was probably the only person to say to Dick’s face that he disliked the acrobat and still make it out of the confrontation with his heart beating and blood still inside his veins.

No one was really sure what was so impressive about him that Dick wanted to keep him alive but everyone knew better than to question it.

“Why did you get in contact with him?”

“B wants him in Gotham, I guess,” Nightwing replied with a casual shrug. “At least, I was just told to ask him to come to Gotham.”

“What if he doesn’t come?”

“Then we’ll get there if we get there, Timbo,” Nightwing replied cheerfully. They both turned at the sound of footsteps on gravel to find Robin walking towards them, a scowl on his face.

“What are you two doing, sitting around?” He demanded. “There’s a bank robbery on third, father wants our help.”

Nightwing clapped his hands together like a little child, bouncing to his feet and already zipping off. Once he was gone, Robin turned too Red.

“What’s his problem?”

“Probably hasn’t been able to spill much blood tonight,” Red replied as he stood and brushed himself off. “Ever since the mayor enacted Gotham’s curfew, it’s been a lot harder to catch criminals and I think it’s pissing him off.”

“As long as he doesn’t kill  _ us _ .”

Red gave a reassuring smile. “We’re his family, Robin. He wouldn’t kill family.”


	5. Draw It Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Maybe he's born with it"
> 
> "Maybe it's Maybelline."
> 
> Maybe it's an unquenchable thirst for murder

“No, no! Please! Please, I’m sorry, I swear!”

“He loves drawing it out, doesn’t he?” Hood asked as he stepped out onto the sidewalk to stand beside Robin and Red as they waited for Nightwing to just get it over with and kill the last damn bank robber.

“He gets pleasure from it, I think,” Red replied.

Hood scrunched up his nose in disgust. “The sexual kind?” He asked.

Red opened his mouth to reply before frowning. “I was going to say ‘no’ at first,” he murmured, glancing over his shoulder but turning away when he caught sight of Nightwing beating the shit out of the man’s face. “But honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets off on this.”

Hood grunted, glancing around. “Where’s B?”

“Not a clue,” Red replied. “I briefly caught sight of him while we were in there and then he just...” He threw up his hands. “Poofed into the night.”

“As he often does,” Hood agreed, glancing over his shoulder to check on Nightwing’s progress.

“Hey,” Red prompted. “How are you feeling?”

“The meds kicked in,” Hood replied, shoving his hands in his pockets. “So I don’t feel like even my shadow’s out to get me.” He glanced back at Nightwing again. “Does he take medication?”

“For the killing sprees or voices?” Red asked with a smile. “He takes some for the voices. I don’t think they help much though. I think it’s mostly just a front for a newspaper headline to cover up any body they find.”

“Has he always been like this?” Robin asked, finally chiming in.

“As long as I’ve known him,” Hood responded. “Sometimes I wonder what fucked him up so bad, but I know better than to ask.”

“Maybe he was born with it,” Red mused quietly.

He and Hood shared a glance, both smiling as they said together, “Maybe it’s Maybelline.”

Their amusement ended quickly when the doors to the bank flew open and Nightwing - looking as though he’d just taken a bath in blood - came strolling out.

“Leave the bodies for the police,” he told them, dusting off his hands but doing nothing to get rid of the wet, tacky blood coating his gloves. “B said we’re good to head back when we’re done.”

“Feel better?” Red asked as the three of them calmly walked down the street, Nightwing always wanting to walk off an adrenaline high as opposed to swing.

“Very much so,” Nightwing replied, flashing him a bright smile.

Hood glanced over and frowned while Red tried not to gag. “Is that blood on your teeth?”

“So what?” Nightwing asked, a threat to his words. Hood held his hands up in defense, knowing better than to try and engage Nightwing at all, let alone right after he’d beaten the shit out of some bank robber.

“Just wasn’t sure,” he muttered. He desperately wanted to ask how it got there but he also enjoyed breathing so he kept his mouth shut.

………………

“Master Richard,” Alfred greeted when they’d returned and showered and stripped into sweats. “A letter arrived for you while you were out.”

Dick clapped his hands together cheerfully, bounding over to Alfred and accepting the envelope without so much as a thank you, shredding it open and pulling out the paper inside, eyes flying over the words.

“It’s an invitation,” Dick chirped, throwing himself into the armchair in front of the fireplace as they all gathered in the living room for after patrol snacks. “From Commissioner James Gordon of the Gotham City Police Department.”

“The fuck does he want with you?” Jason snapped.

“He wants to talk,” Dick replied cheerfully.

“About what?” Tim asked.

Dick shrugged. “No idea. Which is exactly why I’m ging.”

……………………

“Thank you for coming, Mr. Grayson,” Commissioner Gordon greeted, closing the office door behind the young acrobat before taking a seat on the other side of the desk.

“I admit, your letter was just cryptic enough to pique my interest,” Dick replied. “Bruce wanted Jason to come along but I said I’d be fine. After all, you have no reason to hurt me, right?”

Gordon gave a strained smile. “Exactly, Mr. Grayson. I only called you here to talk. But I do want to promise you, nothing you say will leave this room.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Well now I’m very interested,” he mused, flashing Gordon a bright smile. It looked friendly but anyone who knew Dick Grayson well would be able to read the threat behind it and hidden well inside his next words. “Because that implies you’re about ask me some questions my family isn’t going to like.”

“Mr. Grayson, I’m only trying to do what’s right for this city.”

“So is Bruce,” Dick replied. “But people don’t seem to understand that. They see him as a threat.”

“He is a threat.”

“He grants favors to people who come to him,” Dick corrected. “And sometimes he asks that you repay him.”

“By committing crimes,” Gordon said firmly. “He has people repay them by having them commit crimes.”

“He never asks people to do something they wouldn’t be comfortable with,” Dick replied.

“How would you know?”

“I am the result of one of his favors.”


	6. Tim Drake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He can still recall the fear in his parents’ eyes in the few prior months to their deaths. 
> 
> He can still remembering hearing them talking behind closed doors though they always seemed to figure out he was listening long before they said anything interesting.
> 
> He can still remember screaming at the sight of their beaten, bloodied corpses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AO3 says I already posted a chapter today. But...I didn't? Did I? I-I thought I posted the last chapter last night.
> 
> I am...confused. But here's the next chapter. Early or on time I...I don't know

Tim Drake never really knew the extent of Bruce Wayne’s control over Gotham. All he knew was that once a month, every month, his parents would go over to Wayne Manor and Tim would be left to play with Bruce Wayne’s sons while his parents talked with Wayne himself.

When Tim had once asked them what they talked about with Mr. Wayne, his parents had merely replied that it was money related and he shouldn’t worry too much about it.

And he didn’t.

It started when Tim was ten, Dick fourteen, and Jason fresh into the family at twelve.

Jason was an interesting person, Tim had thought. Not at all like Dick. But the boys were nice and they all enjoyed playing together in Dick’s large bedroom so Tim never thought anything of it.

Even back then, Tim knew there was something  _ off _ about Richard Grayson-Wayne but when he’d mentioned it to his parents, they had told him to think nothing of it, that he was imagining things.

They’d seemed scared but of course, that wasn’t something a little ten year old would notice.

He liked Wayne Manor and he liked Dick and Jason. He never really saw much of Mr. Wayne or the butler Alfred, but they had seemed like kind people for the few interactions he had with them. At that age, he didn’t really understand why his parents didn’t like talking about Mr. Wayne or why they didn’t like the fact that Tim wanted to have Dick and Jason over for a playdate.

He can still recall the fear in his parents’ eyes in the few prior months to their deaths. He can still remembering hearing them talking behind closed doors though they always seemed to figure out he was listening long before they said anything interesting.

He can still remember screaming at the sight of their beaten, bloodied corpses.

He was whisked away from the corpses by a servant, sobbing outside as the police came. He barely noticed a sleek, black vehicle arriving. Barely saw the older man step out and speak with the police before walking over to him.

Tim sniffled, wiping away his tears as the man knelt down.

“Hello Master Timothy,” he said in a gentle tone. “My name is Alfred Pennyworth.”

Oh, that was why he’d looked familiar. Tim hadn’t met the Wayne Butler officially but he’d heard stories from Dick and Jason had he was sure he’d seen him once or twice.

“Hello,” he greeted softly.

“I’m very sorry for your loss.”

Tim started bawling. Alfred was calm and gentle and didn’t speak again until Tim had gotten himself together.

“Master Timothy, I have an offer for you,” Alfred began. “How would you like to come live with Master Dick and Master Jason?”

“Why?” Tim asked.

“You’ve no where else to go,” Alfred replied gently. “I’m certain the orphanages would be able to take you but with Master Bruce, you would know Master Dick and Master Jason. You would have brothers and you wouldn’t be alone.”

And true, Alfred had a point. And Tim had heard terrifying things about Gotham orphanages. And he  _ did _ like Dick and Jason, even though they were both really weird...

“You don’t have to, sir,” Alfred said politely. “But Master Bruce is more than willing to take you in if you like.”

Tim bit his lip, unsure. Though Mr. Wayne  _ was _ friends with his parents…

“Okay,” he finally agreed quietly.

Alfred smiled. “Excellent sir.”

And within minutes, Tim found himself in Wayne manor foyer, standing before Bruce Wayne himself, Jason at his side while Dick was nowhere to be found. He thanked Mr. Wayne profusely as Jason offered to show him around the manor.

And with his back to Mr. Wayne’s office, he never saw Dick Grayson step in, soaked in blood, with the whispered words,

“It’s done.”


	7. Tiger From Spyral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick meets with Tiger and Dick guiltily takes advantage of Jason's paranoia and his little bird's blind trust in him

Dick tapped his foot to the music blasting through the dark club, a bright smile on his face as he nursed a glass of raspberry cosmopolitan.

“That’s gross,” Jason had commented when Dick had taken a seat on the couch next to his brother.

“ _ I _ think it’s good,” Dick told him, taking a sip and lifting the glass with a bright, blinding smile.

Jason gave an uneasy smile, rubbing a hand over his arm but not scratching, not yet, eyes wandering around the club where he and Dick were seated in a dark corner, unnoticed by the patrons.

After long moments where Jason was pretty sure his brain was going to leak out his ears, he finally leaned over to Dick, speaking loudly into the other’s ear.

“What are we doing here again?”

“We’re waiting.”

Jason scowled. He’d figured out that much and Dick knew it. What he’d wanted to know wasn’t that they were waiting, but, 

“What are we waiting for?”

Looking around to make sure no one was stupid enough to listen in on them, Dick moved close and pressed his lips practically against Jason’s lips in order to ensure the younger was the only one to hear his next words.

“You remember Tiger from Spyral?”

Jason did. He’d hated him, something about the man’s brash and blunt attitude sending a chill of unease and paranoia up his spine.

“We’re waiting for  _ him _ ?”

“His plane landed this morning,” Dick explained as he leaned back and took a sip of his drink, eyes following a patron who had wandered a bit too close to their table though quickly scampered away when he saw who sat there. “He wanted to rest for the day but we both agreed to meet here tonight.”

“What are you meeting to talk about?”

Dick smiled, patting Jason’s cheek. “Top secret, little brother,” he replied. “Sorry. That’s between me, Bruce, and Tiger.”

Jason slummed down in the seat, arms crossed over his chest. “That’s not fair,” he muttered. “Why does Bruce always give  _ you _ the secret missions?”

“Because I know what’s real and what’s not.”

“You hear voices in your head!”

“But I know which are the voices,” Dick reminded him. “And I’m not constantly paranoid that someone spiked my drink, even though I haven’t walked away from it.”

Jason scowled at his glass of whiskey, sitting on the table and pretty much untouched since he’d purchased it two hours earlier.

“That was a low blow,” Jason mumbled. “And I’m on meds.”

“Meds that evidently don’t do shit,” Dick pointed out cheerfully.

“Not like yours work any better.”

“Because mine are fake, little brother.”

Jason stared, unsure if he’d heard correctly. “What?”

Dick beamed. “What, you didn’t know?” he asked, some sort of mad glee flashing behind his eyes. “You really thought they were real?” he giggled, clapping his hands together. “Ooh, that’s good. Cause that means everyone else thinks they’re real too.”

Jason suddenly felt very,  _ very _ unsafe. “If they’re not real, then why do you take them?” he asked weakly. He felt sick and dizzy and he shot a terrified look towards his glass of whiskey. He shouldn’t have been drugged. It wasn’t possible. He hadn’t touched it, had taken  _ one _ sip since buying it and had never left it unattended…

Except...except he left it with Dick. Except he went to the bathroom and left his drink with Dick. Except he asked Dick to watch it while he walked away.

Dick who heard voices in his head. Dick who slaughtered innocent people for  _ fun _ . Dick who fucked a mercenary for the thrill of flirting with death.

Dick who took meds that didn’t even work.

Jason groaned softly when he felt a cold hand on his arm, Dick’s blurry face swimming into focus as the older helped him relax against the back of their booth.

“Sorry baby Jay,” Dick crooned, tenderly brushing Jason’s hair out of his glassy eyes. “Bruce’s orders. He doesn’t want you knowing what Tiger and I talk about tonight.” there was something almost guilty, at least sympathetic, in Dick’s eyes as he wrapped a silken tie around Jason’s eyes, effectively shutting the world out from the younger. “Don’t worry though. You won’t lose consciousness. Just can’t have you paying too much attention, you know?”

That was the last thing Jason heard before a heavy set of headphones were placed over his ears, blocking everything out but his own terrified breathing and racing heart.

…………………………..

“Tiger,” Dick greeted with a beaming smile as the scowling man took a seat across from him. “I’ve missed you.”

“I haven’t missed you,” Tiger replied bluntly, frowning as his gaze fell on Jason’s limp form in the corner. “Is that-”

“This is Jay,” Dick said, reaching over to pat Jason’s thigh, uncaring of the flinch his brother was unable to suppress at the sudden, unexpected touch.

“I see…” Tiger said slowly, taking in the sight of the headphones and blindfold.

“It’s just so we can talk in private,” Dick explained when Tiger dragged his gaze back to the acrobat. “Bruce doesn’t want him hearing our conversation.”

“Then why bring him?”

Dick frowned, as though he couldn’t tell why Tiger was asking. “He’s my Little Wing,” he replied, as though the answer should have been obvious. “My little baby Jay.”

“You're insane.”

Dick beamed, as though he’d just been given the highest of compliments. “You’re not here to flirt with me, Tigger,” he drawled, crossing one leg over the other and leaning forward with a sultry smile in place. “But the night’s still young.”

Tiger scowled. “Let’s just get to business.”

“Very well.”


	8. Barbara's Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Promise me you won’t look into the Waynes!”
> 
> “I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm almost finished writing the story and didn't want to make it take, like, a month to get the entire thing out, so congratulations, the work has been updated to twice daily uploads

“Rough day?” Barbara asked when her father sat down at the table with a sigh.

“Understatement,” Jim replied, shaking his head. Dinner was a silent affair between them most nights but that night Jim surprised Babs by asking, “What do you know about Dick Grayson?”

Barbara frowned. “We went to school together,” she replied. “He kept to himself, mostly, even though he was really popular.”

“So not much.”

“We were on a few projects together but I never saw much of him outside of them. I don’t think he has many friends and once his brother, Jason, was adopted Dick was pretty preoccupied with him.” she frowned. “Why?”

“There’s something going on with the Wayne family,” Jim explained. “Something  _ bad _ . I thought as such before Dick came into the family and I think it even more now.”

“Do you think it has something to do with Dick?” Barbara asked, concerned.

“I think it has everything to do with him,” Jim replied. “I think it’s mainly Wayne, but I have a strong sense that Dick is part of it too.”

“What about the others?”

“Jason Todd comes from the streets, whatever part he is in Wayne’s game, he’s just a pawn. I don’t think he’s involved, not the way Dick is,” Jim began. “Tim Drake’s parents were killed and he was instantly taken in by Wayne. Something about that doesn’t sit right with me, especially how Dick never pays him a lick of attention in comparison to how he seems to dote on Jason and Damian.”

“So you don’t think Tim’s involved?”

“Jason and Tim aren’t involved, of that I have no doubt,” Jim declared.

“What about the youngest?”

“Damian Wayne is Bruce Wayne’s only biological child and he’s different from the others in a way that tells me whatever Wayne is doing, Damian knows about it.”

“So Damian and Dick definitely know and are a part of whatever Wayne does.”

“Exactly.”

Barbara pressed her lips together. “If you investigate too much, you’ll get hurt.”

“I’m being careful.”

“Dad…” Barbara sighed before a sudden idea came to mind. “What if I helped?”

Jim shut her down instantly. “Absolutely not. I don’t want you anywhere near that manor.”

“I wasn’t going to go over there,” Barbara explained. “I’m still sort of friends with Dick. I was going to offer to hang out at the park with him, see if I can trick him into giving something up.”

“No, it’s too risky.”

“Dad-”

“You can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I already asked him about his family.”

Barbara frowned. “What?”

“I sent him a letter to meet with me a few days ago,” Jim replied, sighing. “I talked to him and he didn’t like it. If you start asking to hang out now, he’s going to get suspicious and if Wayne dosn’t already known I’m looking into them, he’ll definitely know once you start searching.”

“Dad-”

“Barbara, I need you to promise me something,” Jim said suddenly, reaching across the table to grab his daughter’s hands. “Please.”

Barbara opened her mouth to object but there was something just desperate enough in his gaze for her to swallow thickly and nod instead.

“Okay.”

“Promise me that if something happens, if I die-”

“Dad!”

“ _ Promise me _ you won’t look into the Waynes!” Jim begged. “Promise me you’ll get the hell out of the city and don’t look back.”

“I…”  _ I can’t. I can’t promise that. Dad, please. I can’t _ \- “I promise.”

Jim let out a soft breath, dropping his forehead to her hands. “Thank you.”

Barbara bit her lip. “I promise.”

…………………………………..

The Next Day

“I don’t think we ever hung out in high school outside of school projects,” Dick said cheerfully, bouncing along Barbara’s side as they walked through the park the next day. “Which is a shame because you’re very pretty and very nice.”

Barbara felt her cheeks flush and she gave a weak laugh. “Thank you, Dick,” she replied, feeling somewhat unnerved and defenseless in light of his bright, brilliant smile. If there was something dark going on with Wayne, then Dick was the perfect distraction.

A bright, attractive boy who could flash a mere smile and turn anyone’s attention away from whatever shady dealings his guardian might have been doing in the background? He was the perfect curtain over the madness.

She was staring to understand how Wayne Industries had as much control over Gotham as it did. Clearing her throat, she allowed them to walk on in a few quiet moments before she asked,

“So what kind of work does Mr. Wayne do?”

“Stuff with Wayne Industries, signing papers, business meetings.” Dick shrugged, flashing her another disarming smile as he shoved his hands in his pockets and added, “Boring stuff.”

“Boring stuff,” Barbara repeated quietly.

They moved on in silence some more as Barbara thought. If Dick was really involved with Wayne and whatever the billionaire was doing then there was no way the acrobat was going to give anything substantial up on his guardian.

Jason, Tim and Damian however...

“You must be pretty tired, having to take care of three younger brothers all the time,” Barbara said before she could lose her nerve.

“Timmy handles himself,” Dick said instantly, without a second’s hesitation. Almost like he’d  _ known _ she was about to ask that question and had already prepared a response.

“What about Jason and Damian?”

“Jay needs a lot of help, but I don’t mind taking care of him,” Dick said, smilgin. “It’s just paranoia and really, what’s paranoia in comparison to voices?” he tapped his temple at that. “Dami thinks he can handle himself but he’s just a little kid and sometimes he needs some guidance.”

“You’re a mother-hen.”

“Sure.”

“They must get tired of it sometimes though,” Barbara pressed on carefully, knowing she had begun walking on thin ice the moment she’d begun asking questions. “Your hovering.”

“Dami pretends to hate it but B never gives him any attention and his mother was a bitch so I think he secretly likes the reminder that someone out there loves him,” Dick replied, this time having to take a few moments to think over his answer before responding.

“What about Jason?”

“Jason knows I’d never hurt him.” Barbara didn’t like the low tone Dick’s voice had taken on. “He’s just as attached to me as I am to him.”

“How did Jason lose his parents?”

“Father died in prison, mother of a drug overdose.”

“Really?” Barbara asked, raising an eyebrow. “I thought you just found him on the streets and never did find out how they died.”

Dick stopped dead in his tracks and Barbaara cursed to herself. Fuck, she’d pushed too fast, too hard. She shouldn’t have said anything, she should have just-

“Why are you really hanging out with me, Babs?”

Barbara swallowed thickly, feeling weak and exposed under Dick’s intense blue eyes.

“We’re friends-”

“We never hung out in high school,” Dick pointed out, slowly turning to fully face her. “We never contacted each other outside of classes. We worked on projects but that was it. You never talked to me, I never talked to you.”

“Dick-”

“You never asked about my brothers, never cared before.” he advanced on her slowly and suddenly Barbara realized they were in the heart of the park and there was, quite literally, no one around.

How had she missed him leading her here?

“I never meant anything-”

“How interesting that you ask to hang out for the first time ever, a mere three days after your dear old daddy asked to talk to me.” Dick’s voice was low, threatening, eyes blazing as he towered over her. “Now why oh why could that possibly be? Did daddy set you up to this? Hm? Couldn’t get any information out of me at our meeting so sics his pretty little daughter on me?”

“No!” Barbara insisted loudly. “No, Dick, it’s nothing like that!”

“You’re lucky I’m in a good mood today,” Dick said calmly and Barbara let out a small squeak when her back bumped into the trunk of a tree and she found herself suddenly cornered. “Or else dear daddy would have a new cold case on his hand.”

Barabra felt sick. “Please, Dick, I’m sorry,” she whispered. 

Dick hummed. “I’m sure,” he said, straightening up. “I doubt you’ll tell daddy you were out with me. In fact, I bet you weren’t going to tell him anything unless you got information from me, is that right?”

Barbara nodded wordlessly. “I-”

“So here’s what’s going to happen,” Dick decided. “You’re going to go home and in a few days, I’m going to call you and invite you out on a date.”

Barbara blinked. “I...w-what?”

“We’ll go for a few dates, then we’ll have our first kiss, and as far as the public will know, we’ll be a couple.”

“Dick, I-”

“Your daddy’s getting too nosy, Babs,” Dick told her, reaching out to tenderly tuck a loose lock of her hair behind her ear. “So I need some leverage to make sure he stops putting his nose where it doesn't belong. That’s going to come in the form of you.” he smiled. “Or I can just deal with your father.”

The threat was clear. Dick didn’t need to say anymore because Barbara had no doubt in her mind as to what would happen to her father if she didn’t agree. So swallowing down her terror, she quietly nodded and whispered,

“Okay.”

Dick beamed. “Consider today our first date,” he decided. “Nice and private and all that.” he turned and began walking away, waving a hand over his shoulder as he added, “I’ll call you this weekend for our second date. Something more public, I think.”

“I-”

“Bye Babs!”

And then he was gone, leaving Barbara alone and terrified in the middle of the park.

Oh god, what had she done?


	9. Jason Todd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hi Jay,” Robin said with a smile. “My name is Dick. Will you please come home with me and be my little brother?"

Jason curled up in the corner of the ally, shaking and squeezing his eyes closed as tightly as he could, digging his nail into his arms until he felt the flesh give and blood spill. It hurt, it burned, but it was necessary. He had to get rid of the bugs and this was the only way. And even if, by some miraculous miracle, there weren’t bugs under his skin - there were, there were, he could feel them, there were - then he’d bleed out and the person who was following him couldn’t follow him anymore.

Boots landed somewhere near by and he flinched as they came close, digging his fingers deeper into his arms than before.  _ Go away, go away, go away. _

“You shouldn’t do that, you’re going to hurt yourself.” 

Jason peeked an eye open and gasped quietly, scrambling backwards as quickly as possible at the sight of Robin standing before him, no mask in sight but pretty blue eyes gazing down at Jason in possessive worry.

“Go away,” Jason whispered, voice hoarse and aching. He’d probably been screaming earlier, but he couldn’t be totally sure. He screamed a lot lately, it was hard to remember anymore when he had or hadn’t.

“Come here.”

“No.”

Something sparked in the boy’s eyes. “Are you hungry?”

Jason’s traitorous stomach growled but he curled up tighter and firmly replied, “No, now go away.”

“Where are your parents?” something in the boy’s voice made Jason think he knew the answer. That Robin - but not Robin because he wasn’t wearing the mask, but he was Robin because he had the uniform - knew exactly what had happened to Jason’s parents, as if maybe he’d watched.

Jason sniffled miserably. “They’re dead,” he mumbled.

“Good,” Rogin said cheerfully. “Then there’s nobody waiting fo you.” his eyes softened again as he held out his hand. “Come on. I’ll take you home and you can live with me where it’s warm. We have nice clothes and comfy beds and food.” his expression melted slightly when Jason didn’t move and he retracted his hand, moving to crouch in font of the twelve year old. “What’s your name?”

“Jason.”  _ Why would you tell him, why would you tell him, why would you tell him!? _

“Hi Jay,” Robin said with a smile. “My name is Dick. Will you please come home with me and be my little brother? I promise we’ll take good care of you. And it’ll be a lot more comfortable than living on the streets.” he shot a not so subtle glance towards Jason’s arms as he added, “Safer too. Bruce can get you all fixed up and you’ll be good as new and then I can protect you.”

Jason didn’t want to say yes because there was something in Dick’s eyes that he didn’t like and Dick was far more intense than Jason was used to. But Jason was cold and hungry and scared and lonely so if he accepted Dick’s cape and clung to the young boy the entire way back to the cave, well, no one had to know.

Dick promised to protect him, Jason was going to hold him to that. Dick wanted a little brother so bad, fine. Jason wasn’t going to leave his side.


	10. Timmy's Request

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim asks Bruce for his own secret patrol project.
> 
> A conversation is had instead

Tim took a deep breath to calm his racing nerves as he reached out to knock quickly on Bruce’s study door. There was a moment of silence before he heard,

“Come in.”

He stepped through the doors, trying not to freak at the sight of Bruce seated behind his grand desk, hands clasped together atop his desk. “Tim,” he greeted, nodding and gesturing towards the chairs in front of his desk. “Have a seat, what’s up?”

“I was…” Tim cleared his throat, wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans as he moved to take a seat across from Bruce’s desk. “I had a question. Request. Sort of.”

“Sure,” Bruce said, smiling and leaning back in his seat to give Tim the illusion of relaxation. “What’s on your mind.”

Tim nodded, taking a deep breath. “So, I was wondering…” now or never. “I was wondering if I could have a patrol project.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“You always give Dick secret projects he’s not allowed tot alk to us about,” Tim explained. “And I mean, I get why you don’t want Jason doing them. He’s paranoid and has trouble knowing what’s real and what’s not, but I was just wondering...why you never give Damian and I our own.”

Bruce smiled, but Tim wasn’t stupid and he knew there was something hiding under it. Something strained about the expression as Bruce shifted in his seat, no doubt crossing one leg over the other, and clasping his hands together in his lap.

“It’s simple.”

“Okay?”

“You’re not ready.”

Tim blinked, frowning, unsure if he should be insulted or not. “What do you mean?”

“Dick’s been my partner since he was a kid,” Bruce replied. “He can use violence when he needs to in order to complete these little projects. He has experience and lacks hesitation.”

“You’re saying I’m weak.”

“I never said that. I never even implied it.”

Tim shrunk back at Bruce’s slightly angry tone. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Bruce soothed instantly, back to being relaxed. “My point is, I think you need a little more time and practice under your belt before you’re ready for secret projects.”

“B, I’m fifteen! Dick’s been running secret projects since he was ten! I’ve been working with you since I was a kid too, I’m more than ready enough!”

“I said you’re not ready yet, Tim,” Bruce said firmly. “You just need more experience.”

“How much more!?”

Bruce sighed. “Tell you what,” he finally decided. “When he gets back tonight, I’ll pull Dick aside and ask him to work with you a few times a week. Some extra practice time, if you will.”

“B-”

“You’re not ready, Tim,” Bruce declared firmly. “So it’s either extra practice with Dick or not at all.”

Tim sighed, shoulders slumping. He wanted to keep arguing, he knew he was more than ready to take on his own secret projects. But Bruce was not a man to argue with and as reluctant as he was to back down, Tim knew that pressing on the subject any more would only result in never getting his own project, even if he was ready.

So with a dejected nod, Tim stood and headed over towards the doors to the study. Just as he made to leave, Bruce spoke,

“I know it doesn’t seem fair, Tim,” he soothed. “But these projects are very important. The city relies on them to be done quickly, carefully, and correctly. You need to be fully prepared in order to handle it. I need to know I can place the entire city on your shoulders with these. Okay?”

“Yes sir,” Tim replied without turning around. “I understand.”

“Good boy.”

Tim tried to ignore the cold shiver that raced down his back at the praise.


	11. A Secret Meeting, A Secret Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Far away in a watchtower floating through space, a plan is made

“Is everyone here?”

“Is anyone running late?”

“Doors locked, room searched?”

“No bugs, no cameras.”

“Good, let’s begin.”

Superman took his seat at the head of the table, shifting the papers in front of himself as he waited for the group to settle and relax. They’d decided not to include Young Justice in this meeting, if only because some of them had connections to the current discussion.

“I know you’ve all been asking all week why I want this meeting,” Superman said once everyone was facing him. “And I know it was frustrating when I wouldn’t tell you anything.”

“I’ll say,” Green Arrow grumbled.

Everyone ignored him and Superman went on. “The topic of this meeting is Batman.”

_ That _ got everyone to snap to attention. “He’s a founder of the league though,” Flash argued. “If we’re going to talk to him, shouldn’t he be aware of it?”

“No,” Superman shut down firmly. “Because of the reason we’re discussing him.”

Wonder Woman shifted, taking over. “As you all know, Nightwing...Dick Grayson...is a bit…” she sighed. “He’s unstable.”

“He has an untreated mental illness,” Superman added for those who didn’t already know.

“He’s schizophrenic, right?” Green Arrow asked. “I thought he was on meds.”

“It’s a news front,” Superman explained. “It’s not real. As far as the media knows he’s taking meds, but they’re not real. They’re placebo.”

“So he’s unstable,” Green Arrow said, shrugging. “What does that have to do with Batman?”

“Wonder Woman and I have been keeping an eye on Batman from the start,” Superman explained. “We’ve kept a closer eye on them since he took Nightwing in and one thing we’ve noticed is that every few months, Nightwing contacts old associates and people die.”

“You think Batman is asking him to kill people?”

“I think Nightwing kills on his own, without needing permission,” Superman corrected. “But there seems to be big moments where it takes more than just Nightwing.”

“Who did he contact this month?”

“We don’t know,” Superman replied. “We had Aquaman in the bar to keep an eye on him the other night, but the man Nightwing met with was unknown. He wasn’t in any of our files.”

“Spyral then,” Flash guessed. “I know Nightwing was with them for a bit.”

“I’m afraid he might be,” Superman agreed. “Because if Batman is having Nightwing contact someone from Spyral, then it means he’s planning something big. Normally Nightwing just gets ahold of a man named Midnighyer and while we can’t find information on him either, we have information on his husband which lets us keep an eye on him.”

“But the man he was in contact with the other night is completely anonymous,” Aquaman chimed in. “I searched all of our databases, all contacts Nightwing has ever interacted with. Nothing came up.”

“Off the radar,” Green Arrow murmured. “Which means whatever they’re about to do, they don’t want it to be traced back to them.”

“So we need to find out who this man is before he does whatever he’s been instructed to do,” Superman said.

“How do you propose we do that?” Wonder Woman asked.

Superman sighed. “I can only think of one person who  _ might _ be able to find out without tipping Dick off, but it’ll be hard.”

“No,” Flash said when all eyes turned to him. “Absolutely not, I’m not sending Wally to that psycho’s house.”

“Dick and Wally  _ are _ friends,” Wonder Woman pointed out gently. “If there’s anyone Dick’s not going to suspect of looking into him, it’ll be Wally.”

“It’ll be dangerous,” Flash argued.

“Dick’s never hurt him before, I don’t have reason to believe he’ll hurt him now,” Superman soothed.

“What about Roy?”

Everyone turned to Green Arrow. “What do you mean?” Wonder Woman asked.

“Roy’s against us and I know he’s an informant for Nightwing sometimes,” Green Arrow explained. “If Wally suddenly shows up, Roy won’t be far behind. He’s a watcher for Dick. Keeps an eye on anyone and everyone close to Dick to make sure no one’s going to betray him.”

“Yes, he might be a problem,” Superman agreed. “But we just have to bank on the fact that Dick has known Wally longer. If things go well, he’ll trust Wally over Roy.”

“And if things go bad, Wally will be dead before we know it,” Flash snapped.

Superman sighed. “Barry-”

“We let Wally decide,” Wonder Woman finally soothed. “He decides whether or not he wants to risk this.”

……………………………………………

“Absolutely not,” Wally declared. “And before you all try to assure me I’ll be safe, I’m not saying no for the reason you think I’m saying no.”

Flash - who had begun to do a victory dance - paused and frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I’m saying no because Dick’s my friend,” Wally replied, crossing his arms over his chest. “And like it or not, I’m not going to lie to him and try to trick him so you can get information.”

“Wally, this man could be dangerous-”

“If he knows Dick, he’s definitely dangerous,” Wally countered. “But I’m not going to make Dick tell me who he is just so you can stop whatever plan they have in place.”

“Why?” Wonder Woman asked.

“Because chances are there’s nothing you can do to stop it anyway.”


	12. Dick Grayson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He is a threat.”
> 
> “He grants favors to people who come to him,” Dick corrected. “And sometimes he asks that you repay him.”
> 
> “By committing crimes,” Gordon said firmly. “He has people repay them by having them commit crimes.”
> 
> “He never asks people to do something they wouldn’t be comfortable with,” Dick replied.
> 
> “How would you know?”
> 
> “I am the result of one of his favors.”

“Richard is only a  _ child,” _ the man before him insisted. “He wouldn’t kill his parents, he loved them. We all did. The police are looking in the wrong place, Mr. Wayne. Please. I beg of you, do something.”

Bruce Wayne was a well known mob boss in Gotham city yet no matter how hard the GCPD tried, they never dug up more than past sexual partners and charity galas.

Everyone knew he was a mob boss and sometimes, people came to him asking for favors. You were always expected to pay back but if you impressed him, he’d do what you asked.

Jack Haley was not impressing him.

“And do you know who really killed his parents?” Bruce asked. He hadn’t met Richard yet though now he was curious. Bruce also knew what it was like to lose your parents at a young age. To see them die and to watch your life crumble before your very eyes.

Haley ducked his head. “No,” he replied softly. “But it wasn’t Richard.”

Intrigued, Bruce pulled some strings in the GCPD with the use of his own officers, getting the charges against Richard Grayson cleared.

“I’ll aid,” Bruce had promised Haley. “But you’re to repay the favor immediately.”

Haley seemed slightly startled. Bruce rarely asked for the return of favors so quickly.

“Oh?” He asked. “And how so?”

“I’ll keep the boy,” Bruce replied with a smile on his face. “The circus is no place for a child.”

So he paid for the funeral and stood by as Haley and Richard embraced, tears falling down the boy’s face as Haley explained how Richard wasn’t going to be able to stay with them.

“Hello Richard,” Bruce greeted when the little eight year old approached. “My name is Bruce.”

...............

It was some weeks after the death of his parents that Richard -  _ I go by Dick -  _ approached when Bruce was working in his study.

“You’re really powerful, right Mr. Wayne?” Dick asked.

“I am,” Bruce confirmed.

“So you’ll protect me?”

That had Bruce intrigued and he turned to face the small child at his side a bit more directly. “That depends,” he replied. “What do you need protecting from?”

“I’m a child, Mr. Wayne,” Dick had replied and oh, if Bruce hadn’t been a master of deception he likely would have fallen for the innocence act like all others. “What  _ don’t _ I need protecting from?”

“You’re clever,” Bruce had told him, one leg crossed over the other. “So this leads me to believe you’ve done something you know is wrong. Is bad.”

“The voices told me to.”

Bruce quirked an eyebrow. “Voices?”

“I hear voices in my head,” Dick replied as though it was the most normal thing ever. He tilted his head to the side. “They say to kill you.”

Bruce would love to see an eight year old try and kill Batman, but he decided to humor the boy. 

“Are you going to?”

“No,” Dick replied though he quickly amended his statement. “Actually, that depends.”

“On what?”

“Are you going to protect me?”

Bruce had to admit, for an eight year old his negotiation skills were better than Bruce’s had been at that age. Not that he’d needed them when he was eight, but the point still stood.

He leaned down so that his elbows rested on his knees and he was closer to Dick. “What did you do?”

“I killed my parents.”

Bruce had not been expecting that. “Why?”

“Why not?” Dick asked. “The voices told me to.”

“But what’s the truth?”

“That’s the truth you’ll get.” Dick smiled. “But since the police need to find out who killed my parents, you can just tell them it was Tony Zucco.”

This boy was an excellent liar and Bruce was already making plans to use the child to his advantage.

“And how do you know Mr. Zucco killed your parents?”

“I saw him fighting with Mr. Haley the night before the show,” Dick replied. “He wanted money and we wouldn’t give him any.”

And  _ damn _ that was probably the best reason for motive Bruce had ever fucking heard. He chuckled as he leaned back.

“Well then,” he said. “I suppose I better tell the police.”

..................................

“What’s the real truth?” Bruce asked a few weeks after Zucco had been found dead in Gotham Bay, death overshadowed by a front page article about the ward of Bruce Wayne being diagnosed with Schizophrenia. “What’s the real reason you killed your parents?”

And Dick, the little eight year old who had already killed three people with a glee that rivaled the Joker himself, had replied in a sweet little voice.

“For fun.”


	13. A Friend's Warning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “There must be someone we can confront with this information.”
> 
> “It can’t be someone Dick could easily kill.”
> 
> “Agreed.”
> 
> “So who does that leave?”

“That was Wally,” Roy said, dropping his phone onto the couch cushion next to him as he turned his attention back to Dick who was seated cross legged in the chair in front of him. “The Justice League is looking for the name of the man you met with in the bar the other night.”

“Sillies, they won’t find him,” Dick said, smiling. “How does Wally know anyway? I bet they asked him to find out. They tried to exploit our friendship, didn’t they?”

“The Justice League doesn’t get shit done, not like Wayne does,” Roy replied instead of directly answering. “It’s why I stopped working with them.”

“You stopped working with them because you like me.”

Roy grunted but didn’t deny or confirm. “Point being, they’re cowards. They’ll never directly confront you and instead send other people to do their dirty work for them.” he eyed Dick. “Why is Wayne focusing so much on Gotham’s underground, anyway? Why doesn’t he focus on trying to turn the Justice League?”

“That’s a lot of work for something he doesn’t really want,” Dick replied. “He helped get it started back when he thought it would align with his views but when he realized they were all more or less opposed to how he wanted to run things, he sort of turned his back on them.”

Something flashed in Roy’s mind. “That’s your new secret project,” he guessed. “The Justice League. That’s why you have a guy with an off the radar identity.”

“I can’t tell you anything, just in case you’re trying to trick me,” Dick replied. “But I  _ can _ say-”

He was cut off by a door opening down the hall and little Lian toddling into the living room, eyes blurry from sleep and stuffed animal clutched to her chest.

“Hi Uncle Dick,” she said, rubbing her eyes and yawning as she shuffled over and clambered into Dick’s lap. “When did you get here?”

“A few minutes ago,” Dick replied, pulling her in close. “I thought you were asleep.”

“I woke up.”

Dick chuckled, looking up at Roy as he said, “We’ll talk later.”

They wouldn’t, Roy knew. At least not on that topic. Whatever information Dick might have been about to give him was lost and Roy cursed his luck repeatedly.

He needed to find out who Dick’s contact was and soon. A lot of lives were at stake.

…………………………………

“Have you ever realize how insignificant we are to Bruce?”

“By we, I assume you’re talking about yourself,” Domain remarked, not bothering to look over at Tim as the continued to training routine.

“I’m being serious, Damian,” Tim argued, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at the younger boy. “Think about it. Jason gets attention from Dick, a hell of a lot of it, so Bruce doesn’t have to give him any and can instead give all of his focus to Dick.”

“You’re delusional.”

“Am I?” Tim challenged. “You kill. You’re an assassin, you’ve been raised to rule the League of Assassins. Yet you’re not allowed to kill on patrol but Dick’s allowed to slaughter anyone he comes across. Don’t you think that’s odd?”

Damian finally paused, lowering his katana as he thought it over before finally turning to Tim,

“I suppose it  _ is _ strange,” he finally agreed.

“I asked Bruce today if I could have my own patrol projects, like Dick gets,” Tim went on. “He said I wasn’t ready. That I didn’t have enough experience.”

Damian frowned. “But Grayson was doing projects by the time he was ten, when he had a mere two years of experience. You’ve been working at father’s side since you were eleven which means you have four years of experience. How can father say you don’t have enough?”

“I’m telling you, Damian, something’s up,” Tim explained. “I don’t think Bruce trusts us as much as he acts like he does.”

Damian pressed his lips together, shifting his stance. “We can’t tell Grayson,” he finally decided. “He’s blindly loyal to father, he’ll tell.”

“And we can’t tell Jason,” Tim added. “He’s attached to Dick at the hip, he’ll tell.”

“So what do we do?” Damian asked. “There must be someone we can confront with this information.”

“It can’t be someone from the police,” Tim firmly declared. “It can’t be someone Dick could easily kill.”

“Agreed.”

“So who does that leave?”


	14. Secrets and Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Damian grow suspicious
> 
> Dick is given an order and gives one of his own

“Dick,” Bruce called when he saw the eldest walk past the open doors of the study. “Will you come in here please, I’d like to talk to you about something.”

“Sure, B,” Dick replied cheerfully as he slipped into the study, closing the door behind himself. “What’s up?”

“Is everything with Tiger in place?”

“Yep,” Dick replied, taking a seat in the chair across from Bruce’s desk. “He’s ready to roll at your order.”

“Good,” Bruce said firmly.

“Is that what you wanted to talk about?”

“No, I wanted to talk to you about Tim.”

“What’s up?”

“I think he’s straying.”

Dick stilled. “Straying?” he repeated.

“Alfred overheard he and Damian talking in the cave earlier,” Bruce explained. “Tim is beginning to suspect that I don’t trust them.”

“You  _ don’t _ trust them.”

“No, I don’t,” Bruce confirmed. “So you understand why it’s a problem that they’re beginning to notice.”

“What do you want me to do?” Dick asked. “Kill them?”

Bruce hummed. “No, not yet,” he replied. “They could still be useful, I don’t want to get rid of them until we have to.”

“So what do we do?”

“Keep an eye on them for me,” Bruce replied. “Make sure they don’t try and go to the league about anything.”

Dick’s eyes went wide. “You think they will?” he asked.

“As far as I know, they don’t know the League exists,” Bruce replied. “But the fact still remains, if they’re looking for someone to tell about us, then they’ll find out sooner or later.”

“Sure, I can keep an eye on them,” Dick agreed. “How often do you want me to report to you?”

“Once a week,” Bruce replied. 

“What if something becomes urgent? Say I overhear them making plans to go to the league that night?”

Bruce’s eyes hardened. “Then you know what to do.”

………………………………………

“We need to find somewhere private to talk,” Damian decided that evening, he and Tim seated together in Damain’s room since Tim’s was too much of a disaster.

“Isn’t your room private enough?” Tim asked, frowning.

“No. Because if father even slightly suspects were beginning to investigate, he’ll sic Grayson on us.”

TIm paled. “You don’t think Dick would kill us, do you?”

“Grayson is not stable, he thinks being called insane is a compliment,” Damian deadpanned. “I don’t think killing us would be any harder for him than taking a breath. But even if he doesn't kill us, we should still assume father has him watching us.”

“So where do we go?”

“Where’s the one place we both go together that Grayson does not?”

Tim’s eyes went wide. “School.”

“Exactly. After all, we are, unfortunately, in the same study hall. It may be our only chance to talk without Grayson listening. The year ends in a few months but I hope to have a plan in place long before then.”

Tim pressed his lips together. “I don’t know about this, Damian.”

“You’re the one who brought it to my attention,” Damian pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest with a scowl. “Don’t tell me you’re backing out now.”

“I’m not, I’m just…” Tim sighed. “Worried, I guess. What’s going to happen to Dick and Bruce?”

“It shouldn't matter, Drake, they’re doing something behind our backs,” Damian declared. “They’re hiding something and we need to find out what it is.”

Tim sighed. “Okay.”

In the hallway, Dick slunk silently back to his room.

…………………………….

A phone call. A grumble. A hand searching blindly. 

“Hello?”

“ _ Come to the manor tomorrow evening. B will have some forged college documents for you. You start work at Gotham Academy early Monday morning. _ ”

Confusion. Exhausted. “The  _ fuck _ , Dick, it’s four in the morning.”

“ _ Timmy and Dami are getting suspicious. I need to watch them but they’re not going to talk until they’re in study hall at school together. Obviously I can’t go but you can. Your job is to eavesdrop as subtly as possible and find out what they’re planning. _ ”

A sigh. “If I say yes, can I go back to bed?”

“ _ Yes _ .”

“Sure, I’ll be there tomorrow.”

“ _ Thanks Roy. _ ”

A click on two ends, two phones hanging up. A quiet groan, a whispered curse.

“Fuck.”


	15. Bruce Wayne

When Bruce Wayne was born, he was the pride and joy of Gotham. Set to inherit his father’s company, city, and power, Bruce grew up in the heart of Gotham’s darkness and soon took over after the death of his parents when he was twelve.

He spent three angry years preparing his revenge and took great joy in watching his parents’ murderer die before his eyes. The power he had inherited from his father was great but he craved something greater. He wanted to control everything and slowly but surely, he began his training.

He became the nightmare known as Batman when he was twenty-three years old. Two years later, he took in a little boy named RIchard Grayson who had watched his parents die before his eyes.

Though he had taken in the child because he knew the pain of losing your parents right in front of you, he soon grew bored of the child and began making plans to have the boy meet an untimely yet unsuspicious demise.

At least until the boy more or less confessed to killing his parents for fun. To hearing voices in his head and listening to them just to see what would happen. When he told Alfred that the boy heard voices in his head, the butler had suggested getting him on medication.

“Actually, Alfred, I think his voices could be useful.”

“Oh?”

“Indeed,” Bruce confirmed. “This boy has a bloodlust that rivals mine, but unlike me, he doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty.” he hummed. “He could be useful, I think. As my own personal hitman.”

“May I presume he will be joining Batman in the streets then?”

“He’ll need some training, I suppose,” Bruce replied with a sigh. “But yes, he will be joining Batman.”

Eight months later, the demon Robin took to the skies.

………………………………………..

“I don’t believe Mr. Todd will be nearly as useful as Master Richard,” Alfred remarked one evening as Bruce was filling out the adoption forms.

“Consider him a birthday gift for Dick,” Bruce replied. “And when Dick inevitably grows bored of him, well, we’ll deal from there.”

“And if he never grows bored of Mr. Todd?”

“Then he never grows bored of him,” Bruce replied with a shrug. “Either way, I think Jason will be good for him. Dick is starting to get...antsy.”

Alfred raised an eyebrow. “Do you suspect he was planning ton kill us/?”

“He enjoys bloodshed ad outside of school and patrol, he has little else to do,” Bruce replied. “I’d like to live a bit longer and I am certainly not going to die before Dick does.”

“Of course, sir, I understand.”

………………………………………………

“I suppose Tim wasn’t necessary,” Bruce mused. “I took him in in case he saw anything but…” he sighed. “I really don’t see any sense in keeping him.”

“Could he not be useful, sir?”

Bruce hummed. “Maybe,” he murmured. “I suppose it  _ is  _ a bit too early to tell. We’ll give him a few months, train him as Robin. After that…” he shrugged. “Dick’s not attached to him so I’m sure he’ll have no problem if Tim passes away one night.”

“I will begin the preparations for his uniform at once.”

…………………………………………….

“Another assassin could be good. Though I am well aware that Master Richard is not growing tired, perhaps-”

“Damian isn’t going to kill.”

Alfred raised an eyebrow. “May I ask why not, sir?” he asked. “He has already been trained, surely-”

“He’s been trained by the League of Assassins and certainly not trained to listen to me,” Bruce declared firmly. “He won’t kill when I tell him to and certainly not  _ who _ I tell him to. Not like Dick. No, I don’t want him killing.”

“Of course, sir.”


	16. A Plan In Motion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce meets with Roman Sionis to discuss their plans for the GCPD

“Thank you for meeting with me, Mr. Sionis,” Bruce said with a smile as he shook Roman’s hand before the two of them took their seats.

“It’s no problem, Mr. Wayne,” Roman assured with a smile. “Of course, I must admit that your son was rather persuasive.”

“Dick does have a way with words, doesn’t he?” Bruce agreed.

“Quite.”

“Before we begin,” Bruce said, clasping his hands atop his desk. “I’d like to request that nothing we discuss today leave this room.”

“I can agree to that,” Roman said with a nod. “Your son said you wanted to talk about the police.”

“Yes, I do,” Bruce confirmed. “Specifically Commissioner Gordon. Dick informed me that Gordon began asking some rather unwanted questions a few days ago.”

“He’s looking into you,” Roman concluded.

“Yes,” Bruce replied. “It needs to stop.”

“I would like to say right off the bat, Mr. Wayne, that I am not interested in committing homicide of a police officer,” Roman declared.

Bruce chuckled. “No need to worry about that, we already have someone working to make Gordon’s death look like an accident.”

“What about his daughter?”

“Dick is handling her and if need be, he can take her out.”

Roman hummed. “So what do you need me to do?”

“How much sway do you hold over the GCPD?” Bruce asked. “You have a few officers on your payroll, I presume.”

“I do.”

“Exactly how loyal are they to you?”

“What are you suggesting, Mr. Wayne?”

“We should begin to fill the GCPD with our own officers, preparing to fully take over the police force once Gordon is out of the way.”

“I suppose that is wise, especially if those loyal to Gordon try to betray him.”

“I already have plans in motion to begin funding the police and ensure my own choice is placed in charge once Gordon is out of the way,” Bruce went on. “But I’ll need your help.”

“Certainly.”

“I need you to find someone you trust to be the new Commissioner.”

“I thought you just said you would have your own choice.”

“I want to ally with you, Mr. Sionis,” Bruce clarified, spreading his hands out over his desk. “I will fund the police and in return, you will run it. We’ll work together to own the police and I believe we will share full control of Gotham sooner rather than later.”

“Your plans are quite ambitious, Mr. Wayne,” Roman complimented. “But there could still be some backlash. After all, a billionaire trying to gain control of the police?”

“As far as the public will know, I simply want to help fund it,” Bruce corrected.

“So you throw me under the bus with my choice of commissioner.”

“No one has to know you’ve chosen the new commissioner or placed him or her in place,” Bruce soothed. “And I’m sure you know, Dick can handle anyone who objects.”

“Your son is quite skilled in murder, I will admit,” Roman remarked. “But he’s a child, Mr. Wayne. Sooner or later, he’ll slip up and get caught. And it will only be a matter of time before your empire falls from there.”

Bruce’s smile didn’t falter. “Are you threatening me, Mr. Sionis?” he asked cheerfully

“Not at all,” Roman replied. “I am merely advising that you think long and hard about how much power you give Mr. Grayson.”

Bruce hummed. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he agreed. “But back to the matter at hand?”

“I will begin prepping one of my men to take the role of commissioner,” Roman agreed. “And I’ll have several more prepare to become officers.”

“Thank you, Mr. Sionis,” Bruce said, standing and reaching across the desk to give Roman a firm shake of his hand. “We’ll talk again before Gordon is out of the way.”

“No, Mr. Wayne,” Roman said, smiling. “Thank _you_.”


	17. Jason's Paranoia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I am insane and unpredictable. No matter how skilled or prepared he is, he can’t plan how to take me down when he doesn’t know what I’ll do.”

“I’m just saying, Dick,” Jason said where he was seated on the floor nearby, watching Dick stretch as the acrobat prepared to fly across the trapeze on the other side of the room. “Damian is just as inclined towards murder as you are. If he suspects you’re finding a way to listen to him or if he suspects you’re going to kill him or Tim, he might kill you first.”

“Aw, baby Jay, are you worried about me?” Dick crooned, straightening up to flash Jason a predatory smile. “You shouldn’t be, I can handle myself.”

“Yeah, but he has real training in how to kill someone.”

“Training that makes him predictable,” Dick pointed out. “The difference between us is that he is trained, I am not.”

“Exactly.” Jason frowned. “I...I don’t understand.”

“I can predict his movements,” Dick explained, walking over to crouch in front of Jason. “But I am insane and unpredictable. No matter how skilled or prepared he is, he can’t plan how to take me down when he doesn’t know what I’ll do.”

“True,” Jason quietly agreed. “Still, I just…” he looked up at Dick as the acrobat stood and began walking towards the trapeze. “What if Bruce kills you?”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous,” Dick said with a giggle as he began chalking up his hands. “Bruce isn’t gonna kill me. He’s never killed anyone in his life.”

“He’s ordered people to kill.”

“Ordering someone to kill and killing someone yourself is completely different,” Dick clarified. “Bruce doesn’t like getting messy.”

“There are other ways to kill someone without getting blood on you.”

“What, like a gun?” Dick asked, chuckling. “You’re ridiculous, Jay. Bruce hates guns, remember?”

Jason pressed his lips together. While he wanted to keep pressing on the subject - Dick always indulged him in his paranoia and surprisingly, that helped more than his meds did - it was clear that Dick was more than done with the conversation so with a sigh, Jason got to his feet and headed back up to the manor.

……………………………………

“Have you ever killed someone for Bruce, Alfred?”

“Certainly, sir,” Alfred replied as he made dinner on the stove, Jason seated at the kitchen island behind him, arms crossed over the table and chin resting atop them. “Heaven knows, I’ve killed many who have attempted to take Master Bruce’s life.”

“Yeah, but that was to protect him,” Jason argued. “What if Bruce  _ told _ you to kill someone?”

“What reason would he have to ask me to kill when he has Master Richard?” Alfred asked. 

“What if he asked you to kill Dick?”

Alfred paused, turning to look over at Jason with a frown on his face. “What on Earth gave you the impression that Master Bruce would ever want to kill Master Richard?”

Jason shrugged. “I don’t know,” he quietly replied. “Sorry.”

Alfred sighed. “You’re worried about what will happen to you if something happens to Master Richard,” Alfred guessed.

“The only reason I’m here is because Dick liked me,” Jason replied. “Bruce and I have never had a close relationship and I’m not stupid enough to think he sees me as a son.”

“He adopted you, did he not?”

“Only because Dick was too young to do it himself.”

Alfred chuckled, shaking his head as he turned off the stove and moved the pot onto a different burder, walking over to sit across from Jason.

“I assure you, Master Jason,” he said. “Master Bruce will never order anyone, myself included, to kill Master Richard.” Jason opened his mouth to object but Alfred cut him off. “And if he does, I will ensure nothing terrible happens to you.”

Jason sighed. He didn’t really feel like his concerns had been relieved but the fact of the matter was, Dick didn’t want to talk about it anymore and Alfred wouldn’t.

“Okay,” he reluctantly agreed. “Thanks Alfred.”

“Anytime, my boy. Now, have you taken your medication today?”


	18. Alfred Pennyworth

When Alfred Pennyworth was requested - by name - to come to America as protection for the son of a wealthy man, he had to admit he nearly rejected it. After all, he knew no one in America and had never left his home country before then.

But three weeks later, Alfred found himself stepping through the large manor to be greeted by a young woman, a baby bundled in her arms.

“My name is Martha,” she greeted. “This is Bruce. You will protect him with your life.”

“Of course.”

Young Bruce was a delight, growing quickly and taking to his father’s work like a moth took to flame. Despite being so young, there were still several attempts on his life that Alfred needed to step in and prevent but otherwise, the young child lived a relatively normal life for one of his status.

But when he was twelve years old, a tragedy that Alfred could not prevent struck and Thomas and Martha Wayne were struck down before the child’s very eyes. For days he remained quiet and frightened, clinging to Alfred as the butler ordered the Wayne guards to find and apprehend the man who had committed this homicide before the police could.

Three years after the loss of his employers, the murderer was brought before Alfred’s feet.

“What should we do with him, sir?” the gruff man asked, holding the welp by the arm. Normally Alfred would simply slaughter the man then and there and be done, but something told him this man’s death was one Bruce was quite desperately going to want to watch.

So once the man was locked away safely, Alfred headed for Thomas Wayne’s study - Bruce’s now, he supposed - and rapped lighlty on the door before stepping inside.

“Forgive the interruption, sir,” he said, giving a low bow once Bruce looked up. “But there is a matter that needs your immediate attention.”

“Of course,” Bruce said, nodding and clasping his hands together atop the desk. “What is it?”

“We have apprehended the man who killed your parents,” Alfred replied, not missing the way Bruce’s eyes hardened at the news.

“Is he dead?” he demanded.

“Not yet, sir,” Alfred answered, clasping his hands together behind his back. “I thought it was a death you would want to witness.” he hesitated a moment before adding. “Perhaps even commit yourself.”

Brce hummed. “Bring him to me.”

……………………………………

Alfred had little qualm with the woman - or men, on occasion - that his master slept with and so he said nothing when Bruce reported having spent a lovely night with the daughter of the head of the league of assassins.

What he did voice complaint on, however, was the young circus boy Bruce insisted on taking in.

“He’s a child who has just lost his mother and father in a tragic accident, sir,” Alfred objected late one night, a few weeks after the child had come to live with them. “And forgive my disrespect, but I am not sure that  _ your  _ care is the proper place for a child.”

“On the contrary, Alfred,” Bruce said calmly, gazing into the fire in the hearth, a glass of wine in hand. “I think it’s the perfect place.”

……………………………..

“No arguments about Jason?” Bruce asked, he and Alfred seated in the hospital room while Dick babbled to the little boy in the bed. 

“It seems as though Master Richard has adopted him more than you have, sir,” Alfred replied. “I have no doubts that once Master Richard is older, young Mr. Todd will grow to be his charge rather than yours.”

Bruce chuckled. “Assuming he lasts that long, you know how fickle Dick is about sticking with things.”

Alfred sighed but nodded in agreement. Dick had once had a pet dog that he’d enjoyed for less than a week before he let it loose because he grew bored of it.

“In which case, I shall line up new guardians for young Mr. Todd.”

“You do that.”

…………………………………………..

“And you’re sure he didn’t see anything,” Bruce asked quietly as he and Alfred got the paperwork together in order to sure they had full custody over young Tim Drake.

“I do not believe Master Richard was spotted, no,” Alfred replied. “And even if Master Timothy did see him, it’s unlikely he’ll realize it was Master Richard, if he doesn’t brush it off or forget it in the next couple of days.”

“Good. And the bodies?”

“I have bribed the coroner. He will disregard any evidence or forensic information he may find that could incarcerate Master Richard.”

“Thank you, Alfred.”

…………………………………………

“Master Damian is quite like Master Richard, it seems.”

Bruce hummed. “That could pose a problem.”

“How so, sir?”

“He’s from the League, it’s unlikely he’ll kill for me the way Dick does,” Bruce replied. “He’ll kill as he wishes and won’t care how much DNA or evidence he leaves behind.”

“Perhaps Master Richard could train him.”

“I don’t want Damian killing at all. Not if I can’t control who he kills and when.”

Alfred raised an eyebrow. “Sir, you have very little control over who Master Richard kills.”

“That’s different.”

“And how is that, may I ask?”

Bruce looked over at him, eyes hard. “Dick listens to me.”


	19. Dates & Death Threats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So what’ll it be Babs? Gonna tell dear old daddy and help us out, or be a good girl and stay for the show?”

“This is really nice,” Dick said cheerfully, he and Barbara taking a seat together in a booth at one of a rather expensive restaurant somewhere in one of Gotham’s nicer districts. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to this place before.” he flashed Barbara a smile as he asked, “Have you?”

“Once, I think,” Barbara replied anxiously, wringing her hands together in her lap. “When I was little.”

“It is very nice,” Dick remarked cheerfully before turning to smile at Barabra. “So.”

“So.”

“Let’s cut to the chase,” Dick said, leaning forward and clasping his hands atop the table while still smiling. “Do you know why you’re here?”

Barbara swallowed thickly. “I got nosy.”

“Mm, sort of,” Dick replied. “Long story short, you’re going to pretend to be my girlfriend to make sure your dear old dad stops digging around.”

Fear and anger licked up Barbara’s spine. “And what happens if he doesn’t?” she demanded. “Are you going to kill him?”

Dick scoffed. “No,” he replied, rolling his eyes. After a moment he added, “He’s dying either way, but I won’t be the one to kill him.” Barbara’s eyes went wide and she made an aborted motion to escape but was stopped by Dick reaching across to pin her wrists to the table. “Now now, Babs,” he warned in that stupid, upbeat tone. “Don’t be doing something you’ll regret, okay? Your dad’s going to die and there’s nothing you can do about it but I’d really hate to have to cut you down too.”

“I-I can tell,” Barabra declared, voice shaking as she pulled uselessly against Dick’s hold on her wrists. “I’ll go home and tell!”

“Tell who, Babs?” Dick asked, laughing and tightening his grip. “All you’ll do is excelerate your dad’s death.”

“Someone will find out. Someone will suspect.”

“No they won’t.”

“I’ll get my dad out of the country. I’ll-I’ll tell him he’s in danger and we have to leave and-”

“And he’ll still die, just in another country,” Dick said calmly. He frowned, tilting his head to the side. “No no, you have a point. She does have a point, doesn’t she?”

_ Oh my god.  _ Barbara thought as Dick continued the conversation with someone who was decidedly  _ not _ her.  _ Oh my god, he’s fucking crazy. _

“Dick, please,” she whispered. “Please, just let me go.”

“Sure,” Dick agreed, releasing her wrists. “Go ahead. Tell your dad.”

She’d begun to scramble to her feet the minute Dick had let her go but went still after hearing the rest of what he had to say. Swallowing thickly and knowing she’d regret staying to listen, she slowly sat back down and quietly asked,

“What are you going to do?”

“ _ I’m  _ not going to do anything,” Dick corrected, going silent when the waitress came with their orders. He smiled and thanked her, returning to the conversation once she was gone. “But it could help, your dad being out of the country. Or at least the city. Less suspicious, you know?”

Barbara’s heart beat painfully in her chest. “You’re still going to kill him.”

“His death’s set in stone,” Dick replied, shrugging. “I guess now, it’s up to you where it happens.” his eyes glinted dangerously as he asked, “So what’ll it be Babs? Gonna tell dear old daddy and help us out, or be a good girl and stay for the show?”

……………………………………

“We might have a problem, but it’s a problem that’ll help us so I don’t think it’s that bad.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow as Dick pranced into his office and draped himself over one of the grand chairs on the other side of the billionaire’s desk.

“Oh?” Bruce asked, closing out his email and clasping his hands together atop his desk. “And what problem might that be?”

“Barbara Gordon knows we’re going to kill her dad,” Dick replied. “She wants to take him out of the country, or at least the city. Which helps but could also cause some problems.”

Bruce watched him silently. “And how exactly does she know we’re going to have her father killed?” he asked calmly.

“I told her.”

Bruce hummed, fury building in his chest but he choked it down easily. “You told her,” he repeated. “Why?”

“Well, I needed to make sure she knew I was going to have her as a ‘girlfriend’ to make her dad stop digging,” Dick replied. “She asked if I’d kill him and I said no, but he was going to die either way.”

“Why would you tell her? Do you have any idea how incredibly complex this plan is? How one little slip up can fuck up everything we’ve been planning?”

Dick was not like Jason. Yelling merely made him angry and speaking in a threatening tone didn’t scare him into submission. He was his own person and was, honestly, quite difficult to control on a good day.

“Relax, B,” Dick drawled. “If it comes down to it, I’ll kill her too.”

Bruce pressed his lips together.

“ _ Your son is quite skilled in murder, I will admit. But he’s a child, Mr. Wayne. Sooner or later, he’ll slip up and get caught and it will only be a matter of time before your empire falls from there.” _

_ “Are you threatening me, Mr. Sionis?” _

_ “Not at all. I’m merely advising that you think long and hard about how much power you give Mr. Grayson.” _

“Thank you for informing me, Dick,” Bruce said tightly. “You can leave.”

Dick shrugged but bounced to his feet and slipped out of the study, Bruce watching him go as his mind ran a mile a minute. Perhaps Mr. Sionis was right. Sooner or later, Dick would slip up and sure enough, he’d gone and told their plan to Barbara Gordon.

Dick had always been Bruce’s perfect little assassin, but as they say, everyone’s time comes eventually.

A shame Dick’s came sooner than Bruce had planned.


	20. Try To Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We will figure this out.”
> 
> "We have no idea when Dick’s assassin is going to strike and even less of an idea who the hell it is.”

“Dad, we have to leave the city,” Barbara declared frantically the minute she was through the door.

“What are you talking about?” Jim asked, looking up from where he’d been reading on the couch. Seeing the terror in his daughter’s eyes, he got to his feet and rushed over. “Barbara, what’s going on?”

“Dick Grayson is going to kill you!”

“What!?” Jim grabbed her shoulders. “Barbara, did you talk to him after I specifically told you not to!?”

“I know, I’m sorry, I mess up,” Barbara babbled. “But dad, he said they have a plan to have you killed! They’ve hired someone to kill you! Please, we have to leave the city!”

“Do you know who it is?”

“No, he never said.” Barbara sobbed. “Dad,  _ please _ !”

Jim huffed, taking a step back as he ran a hand through his hair. “Did he say what would happen if you told me?” he asked quietly. “Barbara, what happens if you tell me?”

“I-I had to tell you,” Barbara whispered. “But he said it would help. If-if you were out of the city, it would help.”

“So we can’t stay because the Waynes are planning to kill me,” Jim said quietly. “But we can’t leave because it’ll help the Waynes kill me.” his focused back on Barbara. “What happens to you?”

Barbara blinked. “What?” 

“Did Grayson threaten you?”

“He was using me to make you stop looking into them,” Barbara replied. “He was going to pretend we were dating, but if you kept investigating…” she swallowed thickly. “I think he was going to kill me.”

“Is he going to kill you when I’m dead?” Jim demanded.

Barbara shook his head. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “He’s not...he’s not  _ right _ in the head.”

Jim pressed his lips together. He’d always suspected that but to hear it confirmed was…

“I’ll take a week off the station,” he decided. “We’ll stay in and think of a plan.”

“Is there anyone we can contact for help?” Barbara asked.

“No, we can’t risk it,” Gordon replied, shaking his head as he walked over to grab his cell phone to call the station and take a week off. “We don’t know how far Bruce Wayne’s power extends, we can’t risk anyone we try and contact being someone on his payroll.”

Barbara nodded wordlessly. “Okay,” she whispered. “Dad?”

“Yes?”

“I’m so sorry.”

………………………………………………….

“Without knowing who Dick called into Gotham, we won’t know who to protect the Gordons from,” Roy said calmly, sprawled out on the couch with his eyes closed, head dropped against the back of the couch. “And with Gordon's death, Wayne gets even more power in Gotham.”

“I understand that killing will not help the situation,” Kori said calmly. “But why do we not strike Wayne down now? Is there not a term regarding cutting off the head of the snake?”

“There is, but we don’t know how deep his plan is,” Roy replied, opening his eyes to stare at the ceiling. “We don’t know if he has something in place for if he dies before this task is carried out.”

Kori pressed her lips together. “What of the younger two?” she asked. “Timothy and Damian?”

“They’re beginning to suspect something’s up,” Roy replied. “I listened in on them during their study hall today. They’re trying to find a way to eaves drop on Wayne and Dick without getting caught.”

“But you have to report everything they say to Richard, do you not?”

Roy shook his head. “Only anything they say that I deem concerning,” Roy replied. “That I think he really needs to know.”

“So you will tell him nothing?”

“Exactly.” Roy sighed. “We’ve been watching Wayne for years, why did this suddenly get so complicated, so quickly?”

“Wayne is smart,” Kori replied. “We never could have predicted he would make this move.”

“But we should have.”

“We’ve been watching Richard far closer than we’ve been watching Wayne himself,” Kori soothed. “We only know as much as Richard knows.”

“But Dick  _ knows _ the killer and we don’t know that!” Roy shouted. He sighed. “Fuck.”

“We will figure this out, Roy.”

“How?” Roy asked with a weak laugh. “We’re crunched for time, Kori. We have no idea when Dick’s assassin is going to strike and even less of an idea who the hell it is.”

Kori placed a hand on his shoulder. “Then we’ll figure it out.”

Roy sighed again. “I hope so.”


	21. The Wayne Family Scandal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for not updating yesterday : (
> 
> I got all comfy in bed before remembering I hadn't updated and I did not feel like getting up.
> 
> So you'll get two today : )

The Wayne family rose to power through several illegal scams and deals with local mob bosses around Gotham and surrounding cities.

Thomas and Martha met when they were only fifteen years old, Martha given to Thomas in return as a favor between their fathers. The two fell for each other and as Thomas’s father gained power in the city, working his way up to the top mob boss of Gotham, Thomas took Martha with him.

The two were wed on Martha’s twenty-third birthday and barely eight days later, Thomas’s father passed away and Thomas became head mob boss of Gotham City. Two years later with the birth of their son, Bruce, they hired a man by the name of Alfred Pennyworth to serve as what the public would view as a butler.

In reality, he was protection for their son as Bruce began his training to take over and handle Gotham in the event of his father’s death. When Bruce was twelve, his parents passed away and if it hadn’t been for Alfred, he would have thrown away his parents' work.

But revenge took hold and with Alfred’s help along with his father’s numerous underground connections, Bruce was able to track down the man who had taken his parents from him.

“I won’t kill him,” he declared as the man was brought to stand before him, trembling in the wake of the most powerful fifteen year old in America. The man slumped in his chains, relieved, though that peace only lasted until a dark smile appeared on Bruce’s face as the fifteen year old added. “I just don’t want to get my hands dirty.”

Some years later when he was only twenty-four, turning twenty-five in a few months, he traveled to Saudi Arabia to meet with the esteemed Demon’s Head of The League of Assassins who had heard rumors of Gotham’s Batman. It hadn’t taken Ra’s Al Ghul to decide who it was and before long, he reached out to request a partnership.

While there, Bruce met the daughter of Ra’s Al Ghul, Talia. The two had one passionate night before Bruce left for the states and thought nothing of her.

Six months later, two months after he turned twenty-five. He took in Dick Grayson, a young boy who would soon come to be known as Bruce Wayne’s personal hitman. 

Six years later, Dick happened upon a small homeless boy who had scratched his skin raw, looking as though he’d gotten into a batch of fear toxin. Dick being as he was, possessive over things he deemed his, had picked the thin child up and taken him home.

Jason Todd had quickly become a sort of  _ toy _ to Dick who cheerfully babbled away while Jason is in the hospital as the doctor’s worked to diagnose him, just as they’d diagnosed Dick with Schizophrenia.

Within two weeks, they’d diagnosed him with Paranoid Personality Disorder and Delusional Parasitosis and a few months after that, his medication was straightened out. Still, some paranoia remained as part of him and it became rare to see Jason without Dick, the two seeming attached at the hip despite their entirely opposite personalities.

Not long after Jason Todd came into the picture, did Tim Drake join the family.

Tim was the son of Jack and Janet Drake and spent several hours once a month at the manor, playing with Dick and Jason while Bruce subtly threatened his parents behind closed doors.

When Janet had become pregnant with Tim, something the couple had never wanted to happen, they’d been struggling financially and though Janet couldn’t bring herself to abort the child, she knew they’d be out in the streets if she had him.

So with nowhere else to go, they’d turned to Don Wayne, begging him to help them. And he had, getting Jack a job with Wayne Industries and offering the two of them money.

But for a price. Each year, he would raise the interest on the amount he’d given them in the beginning (well over five thousand dollars) by eight hundred dollars. If they couldn’t pay it back by the date he chose, there would be consequences.

So each month, they went to the large estate, reluctantly leaving their boy with Wayne’s paranoid and unstable sons before being locked in the man’s office with them as he told them how much they owed before and after they paid him that day.

They couldn’t pay enough fast enough. 

They knew it was coming. Knew Don Wayne liked to go to the extreme for those who couldn’t return favors. Their first goal was to work out their will because they had no doubt that when they died, Don Wyane would take their son.

They weren’t fast enough and Dick Grayson’s grinning face was the last thing they saw.

Damian Wayne-Al Ghul arrived when Dick Grayson was eighteen, the youngest and oldest of the family instantly forming a bond over their shared blood stained hands.

Dick’s infatuation with the boy - one Bruce told him would fade with time - was the only reason Damian remained in America with them, though Bruce did contact Talia Al Ghul to inform her that her son was not, in fact, dead. Bruce’s initial assumption that Dick’s fascination with the boy would fade with time was quickly proved wrong as the oldest and the youngest became closer than anyone else int he family.

Except, perhaps, Jason and Dick. Bruce didn’t think Dick would ever favor anyone else over his sweet baby Jay.

…………………………………….

There were several things that stuck as fact in Gotham City.

Bruce Wayne had diplomatic immunity.

Damian Wayne was the blood son.

Tim Drake was the smart one.

Jason Todd was the  _ face _ of the company heir.

And Dick Grayson was fucking crazy.

………………………………….

Bruce became Batman for control. Bruce Wayne had control over Gotham, yes. But over Gotham’s  _ elite _ , not the Underground. But with the creation of Batman, it only took a few short years before all of Gotham was under his control.

And then he gained his little Robin.

Dick Grayson had a bloodlust that rivaled men four times his senior and had spilled more blood than some of Gotham’s rogues. The sight of skin splitting open before him filled the small child with glee and going too long without watching life drain out of someone’s eyes pissed him off and resulted in the death of an innocent.

And so Batman took the boy under his wing, training him and teaching him how to curb and control the bloodlust. During the day, Dick Grayson was known as Bruce Wayne’s sweet, schizophrenic ward and at night, Robin was known as Batman’s pet killer.

One night when Bruce had chosen to remain home from patrol - a broken ankle had never stopped him before bu Alfred was quite insistent - Bruce heard a scuffle from the cave upon Dick’s return and when he moved to see what was happening, found the fourteen year old with an armful of a twelve year old boy who looked as though he’d gotten into a batch of Crane’s fear toxin. His eyes were blown wide in terror, arms ripped and bloodied as though he’d gotten into a fist fight with a cat.

“His name is ‘Jay’,” Dick declared happily where he stood bouncing nearby while Alfred gently patched up the boy’s wounds, the small child trembling at the slightest noise. “He’s my little wing.”

“Dick, you can’t just take random children from the streets,” Bruce lectured.

The child pouted. “But B-”

“He has a home-”

“He was living on the streets.”

Bruce pressed his lips together, looking over towards ‘Jay’ who had become more bandage than child now that Alfred was finished and was pressed as close to the head of the medical bed as he could be, wide teal eyes bouncing over everything and only settling on Bruce when he approached.

“What’s your name, son?” he asked gently.

“J-Jason,” the boy whispered. “J-Jason Todd.”

Bruce nodded. “Where are your parents, Jason?”

“They’re dead.”

“Dick,” Bruce warned. “I’m asking Jason.”

Dick huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Jason watched the older for a few moments before slowly dragging his attention to Bruce and whispering,

“They’re dead, Mr. Wayne sir.”

“Are you telling the truth or are you saying what Dick wants you to say?”

“The truth, sir.”

Bruce hummed, turning back to Dick who was standing at the bottom of the bed, flashing Jason a gentle smile whenever the small boy looked towards him.

Bruce couldn’t remember the last time Dick had looked so innocent.

“Where did you find him, Dick?”

“On the streets,” Dick replied, quick and honest like the good boy he was. Most of the time, anyway. “He was shaking so I gave him my cape.”

“I can see that,” Bruce said, looking over just as Alfred helped Jason switch the cape for a more comfortable blanket. The billionaire sighed. “I’ll look into him. If his parents really are dead-”

“I’m not lying.”

“And he doesn’t have any other family, then…” Bruce sighed. “We’ll make him part of ours.”

Dick clapped his hands together joyfully. “Yay!”

……………………………..

“I don’t want a little brother,” Jason said quietly one evening, the young boy the new Robin and Dick now named Nightwing, Alfred upstairs helping the newest member of the family - Tim Drake - into bed.

“I know, Jason,” Bruce soothed. “But Tim had nowhere else to go and I couldn’t risk that whoever killed his parents-” he gaze flicked towards Dick but thankfully, Jason didn’t notice. “-Might come back and try to kill him.”

Jason’s eyes went wide as his paranoia spiked at that and he inched towards Dick as he asked,

“Do you think they’ll come here?” he stared up at Dick. “What if they try to kill us too?”

Dick grinned, laughing fondly as he wrapped an arm around Jason’s shoulders. “They won’t try and kill us, silly baby Jay,” he assured.

“How do you know?”

“I just know.”

Jason shifted, looking towards Bruce. “Is he going to be Robin now?” he asked.

“I think it’s only fair he get a turn, if he wants,” Bruce replied. “Dick passed Robin on to you, now it’s your turn to pass it on to Tim.”

“What happens to me?”

“You get to pick your own name,” Dick replied. “Besides, you’re a little old for Robin now anyway.”

Jason pressed his lips together. “What would I even call myself?”

………………………………………

“He’s mine now.”

Bruce glanced over at Dick before turning his attention back to Damian - his son, his  _ biological _ son - who was out in the garden with Alfred, getting a lengthy lecture from the butler about destroying the shrubbery.

“Dick…” Bruce warned.

“His mom gave him to us, so he’s ours now,” Dick declared. “You won’t appreciate him enough, so he’s mine now.”

Bruce chuckled. “ _ Dick _ .”

“I want him, Bruce.” Dick declared, eyes hard as he turned to stare at the billionaire. “I’m not giving him back.”

Bruce sighed. He had been afraid of that. “He can’t be Robin.”

“Why not?” Dick demanded, placing his hands on his hips as he scowled at Bruce. “Jason was Robin after me, Timmy’s Robin now after Jason. Now it’s Dami’s turn to be Robin after Tim.”

“Tim’s very possessive of Robin,” Bruce explained. “And he and Damian don’t see eye to eye. I don’t think he’ll give it up that easily.”

Something cold slid over Dick’s gaze as the acrobat said in a low tone, “Then I’ll make him.”

………………………………………..

There were several things that stuck as fact in Gotham City.

Batman ran the city

Robin was his son

Red Robin was  _ mostly _ harmless

Red Hood was the cause of most fires after nine PM

And Nightwing was just as psychopathic as the people he fought.


	22. His Only Warning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim gets nosy, Dick issues a warning

“I’ve found nothing on Tiger from Spyral.”

“Of course not,” Damian said as he paced the grass in front of Tim who was seated cross legged on the patio in the backyard of the manor. “He is from Spyral and all from the organization are wiped from world documentation.”

“Wiped from world documentation,” Tim repeated. “Like...they’re off the radar.”

“Precisely.” Damian paused, turning to face Tim with a small frown. “What of it?”

“All the people Dick is friends with or has contacted for projects,” Tim explained. “Have never been off the radar. We’ve always been able to get deeper information on them, including home addresses and real names.”

“Yes. So?”

“So why is Dick suddenly contacting someone who, for all intents and purposes, doesn’t legally exist? And why is this project so much more secret than any of the others?”

Damian frowned harder. “That  _ is _ suspicious.”

“Why would Dick tell us it’s Tiger if he’s not going to or not allowed to tell us anything about the project?”

“Perhaps father had not yet insisted silence.”

“Maybe,” Tim murmured. “Or maybe…”

“Maybe what?” Damian demanded when Tim didn’t go on.

“Maybe Bruce told him to tell us it was Tiger because…” his eyes went wide. “Because we’re all afraid of Tiger.”

Damian’s own eyes went wide in understanding. “Todd, yourself, and I are uneasy with Tiger. Grayson tell us he’s bringing Tiger into Gotham for a project-”

“And we don’t ask any more questions because we’re sacred of him.”

Damian pressed his lips together. “But would could father possibly be planning that he doesn’t want us to know anything about?”

Tim shook his head. “Think about it,” he said slowly. “Dick is unstable. He’s insane. He takes joy in killing, he’s Bruce’s perfect little assassin.”

“Yes.”

“Jason is scared. Jason is paranoid. Jason is attached to Dick at the hip and has no interest in anything that Dick and Bruce do, so long as he gets to stay.”

“Yes.”

“I come from the elite. My parents met with Bruce every month but I never knew why.” Tim pressed his lips together. “The day they died, Alfred showed up mere minutes after the police and offered for me… to come stay...”

Damian stepped forward as Tim’s eyes widened in horror. “Drake?”

“Oh my god,” Tim whispered, looking up at Damian. “I think Dick killed my parents.”

……………………………………...

“Hi Timmy,” Dick said cheerfully, bounding up to Tim when the younger started to pass him in the hall, pulling the third into his side with an arm around Tim’s shoulders, spinning the boy around and heading back the other way.

“Oh, uh, hi Dick,” Tim stammered, swallowing thickly and looking anywhere btu at the acrobat’s wide blue eyes. “What’s up?”

“Nothin’, nothin’,” Dick replied. “Hey, can I talk to you about something?”

“Um, sure?”

“Sure, sure,” Dick repeated. “Listen, B told me you were asking for your own secret patrl projects like mine, right?”

“Oh.” Tim paled. “I...yeah, I guess I did.”

“How come?”

“Well, I just...I’ve been working with him for a few years, I guess,” Tim replied, avoiding Dick’s gaze. “I just figured...I mean I wanted to be able to help more, you know?”

“Mm, I gotcha,” Dick said, squeezing Tim’s shoulders. “He said no, huh?”

“He said I’m not ready.”

“Well, Timmy, if Bruce says you’re not ready, maybe he has a point.”

“Yeah, but you were running projects when you were ten when you only had two years of experience. It’s not fair.”

Dick sighed. “See, there’s a reason for that, Timbo. A difference between you and me.”

Tim peeked up at him. “What’s that?”

Dick’s eyes were dark as he replied, “I won’t hesitate to shed blood if that’s what it takes to get the job done.”

Tim swallowed thickly. “I...o-oh…”

Dick sighed, retracting his arm and turning to face Tim. “This is your only warning, Tim,” he said, voice dark and all playful, joking gone without a trace. “You and Damian need to stop digging around in shit that’s none of your business, okay?”

Tim paled. “D-Dick-”

“I’d really hate to have to kill you in your sleep.”


	23. Tiger's Debrief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Everything’s all set with Tiger. Gordon and Babs will be dead by tomorrow evening.”

“There seems to be a complication with the mission,” Tiger explained to Dick, the two of them in opposite ends of one of Gotham’s more loud, crowded clubs. The noise allowed their conversation to be covered from prying ears and the two wore a set of comms in order to perfectly hear one another since they weren’t sitting together.

“And what problem is that?” Dick asked where he was sprawled out in Bruce’s private booth, waving the waitress over for another drink. “I thought everything was going great.”

“The daughter informed the target that there is a hit out on him,” Tiger replied. “They’ll be staying in their home for a week while they plan?”

“So?” Dick asked. “You’re killing someone, Tiger, I didn’t realize breaking and entering was where you drew the line.”

Tiger scowled. “That is not the problem. Killing him while he is in his home as opposed to out in public as per the original plan runs the risk of getting caught. The daughter is not the target-”

“Oh no, she is now,” DIck cut in. “Kill them both, I don’t care. Bruce doesn’t care either, as long as Jim Gordon is dead at the end of the day.”

Tiger sighed. “I have analyzed the home and there is no easy way to kill, short of breaking into the home. He is a police officer-”

“Police commissioner.”

“And I have no doubts that he carries a gun with him at all times,” Tiger finished, talking right over Dick. 

“So shoot him before he can shoot you.”

“And allow the daughter to see my face?”

“No one’s gonna figure your real name just because she sees your face, Tiger,” Dick pointed out, a grin in his face as he thanked the waitress when she returned with his drink. “I bet she’ll be too distressed by the death of her father to even look at you close enough to get a good idea of your hot features.”

Tiger tightened his grip on his glass, coming just a hair too short to cracking it. “Can you be serious and focus at all?”

Dick hummed. “When it suits me.”

Tiger sighed. “Of course.” he shook his head. “Even if she can’t get a good look, all it takes is seeing the turban and markings on my forehead and it won’t take long for someone to figure me out.”

Dick frowned. “I thought Spyral protected your identity.”

“They do but even they cannot-”

“Look, Tig, just kill her after Jim’s dead if you’re so worried,” Dick cut in.

“And what if I choose not to?” Tiger asked. “If I choose not to carry through with-”

“Then you’re dead where you stand.”

………………………………………….

“Everything’s all set with Tiger,” Dick said cheerfully as he bounced into Bruce’s office. “Gordon and Babs will be dead by tomorrow evening.”

“Excellent,” Bruce said, clasping his hands together atop his desk. “And Tim?”

“I told him that he and Dami to stop investigating, otherwise I’d kill him,” Dick replied. “I’ll give him to the end of the week.”

“And at the end of the week?”

“At the end of the week, if he’s still investigating, he’s dead.”

“Good boy.”

Dick beamed.


	24. The Hit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Promise me.”
> 
> She swallowed thickly, nodding. “Okay,” she whispered. “I promise.”
> 
> As if on cue, the kitchen window shattered inwards.

“Something’s going to happen,” Barbara said softly where she and her father were seated together in the dinning room. “Something’s going to happen tonight.”

Jim nodded. He’d had the same feeling too, all day actually. Like they were being watched. He’d checked the locks on all the doors and windows and even peered up at the roofs of nearby buildings but whoever - if anyone - was watching, he never saw them.

They were professional, of that much he was sure.

“Barbara, I need you to promise me something,” Jim said firmly. “No matter what happens today, to me-”

“Dad-”

“If someone breaks in, if someone kills me-”

“ _ Dad! _ ”

“I want you to run.” Jim’s gaze was hard. “I want you to turn and run and don’t stop, do you understand me? I want you to go straight to the police station as fast as you can and tell them what happened.”

Barbara pressed her lips together. “I-”

“Promise me.”

She swallowed thickly, nodding. “Okay,” she whispered. “I promise.”

As if on cue, the kitchen window shattered inwards.

…………………………..

“Learn anything useful?”

Roy sighed as he dropped onto the couch. “No, nothing,” he replied, glaring at the wall. “Dick’s fucking crazy, but we already knew that.”

Kori pressed her lips together. “We’re running out of time.”

Roy glared at her. “Don’t you think I know that?” he snapped, sighing almost immediately after. “Dick threatened to kill Tim.”

“What?”

“I overheard the third telling Damian,” Roy explained. “Dick told them to stop investigating or he was going to kill Tim.”

“Did Wayne tell him to say that?”

“No doubt.”

Kori placed a gentle hand on Roy’s arm. “We’ll figure this out, Roy,” she promised.

“Yeah, but will we do it in time?”

……………………………..

“Well?”

“It’s done.”

“And Babs?

“I had to take her down too. She tried to escape.”

“Did she?”

“No, I got her in time.”

“Witnesses?”

“None. The daughter was the only one.”

“Good. I’ll let B know, he’ll be happy to hear.”

“And my money?”

“No worries, Tony. I have it right here.”

A gunshot.


	25. Two Days Left

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It won’t happen again, Baby Jay. I’m gonna find who did this and when I do, I’ll rip their throat out.”
> 
> It was that soothing thought that helped Jason drift into his next fever dream.

“This was the hit,” Tim whispered, he and Damian in the younger’s room, staring at the news as Jim and Barbara Gordon’s deaths were reported. “This was why Dick needed Tiger. Why  _ Bruce _ needed Tiger.”

Damian stared silent at the TV for a long time before wordlessly picking up the remote and flipping it off. The room was bathed in darkness before Damian murmured,

“Why? Why kill Gordon, how does that benefit father? He’s never been after the police, he’s never had any interest in them.”

“But they’ve had an interest in him,” Tim said softly. “They’ve been after him.” his eyes went wide. “Gordon contacted Dick. Gordon sent Dick a letter, wanting to talk about something.”

“He asked the wrong question, I suppose,” Damian mused. “And of course Grayson reported back to father.”

“No, wait…” Tim shook his head. “No, that doesn’t line up.”

“What? Of course it does.”

“No it doesn’t, remember?” Tim demanded. “Because the night Dick got the letter was the same night Bruce told him to get in touch with tiger. There’s no way Tiger was called because of Gordon unless…”

“Unless?”

“Unless Tiger was being called for something else. Unless the hit Tiger was called in for was on  _ someone _ else and Gordon just happened to get in the way.”

Damian was quiet. “We’re in over our heads,” he said softly. “We need help.”

Tim couldn’t help but agree.

…………………………..

“Hey Timbo.”

Tim flinched when slender hands landed on his shoulders, squeezing. He tried to keep his breathing even as he stared blankly down at his book in hand. “Oh, uh, hi Dick,” he said nervously. “What’s up?”

“I just wanted to remind you that you have two days.”

Tim’s blood ran cold and he felt sick. “W-what?” he slowly looked up to find the acrobat staring vacantly off to the side. “What are you talking about?”

“To stop investigating,” Dick explained, beaming down at him suddenly. “Okay?”

“I...we’re not…”

“Don’t lie, Timmy, you’re worse than baby Jay,” Dick said cheerfully, patting Tim on the head before flouncing away, leaving Tim to sit - drowning - in his dread.

…………………………..

“I...told you…”

“Shh,” Dick murmured softly, caring his hand through Jason’s sweat soaked hair, the younger weak and pale in bed as he’d been for the last few weeks. “Just relax, baby Jay. you’re okay. You’re just sick, but it’s alright. Alfie’s gonna make you feel better and everything will be okay again.”

“It’s the meds,” Jason mumbled, eyes glazed with fever. “I-I told you, I said the meds weren’t the right one.”

Dick hummed. “There  _ was _ a mix-up, wasn’t there?” he murmured, shooting a dark look over at the bottle of pills on Jason’s bedside. The ones that were  _ not _ the meds his sweet little brother was supposed to have and instead the ones that were the cause of Jason’s raging fever and bed bound form. The acrobat ripped his gaze back to Jason, placing a hand on the younger’s chest as he smiled gently. “It won’t happen again, Baby Jay. I’m gonna find who did this and when I do, I’ll rip their throat out.”

Jason knew he would and were Dick anyone else, Jason might have thought Dick had switched out his pills to try and kill him. But Dick was Dick and very very protective of Jason. He’d never done anything to hurt the younger and he never would.

It was that soothing thought that helped Jason drift into his next fever dream.


	26. Falling Into Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He’s confused.”
> 
> “Go placate him. You’re the only one who can ever get through his madness, even the fever induced moments. You should be with him. And Dick?”
> 
> “Yes sir?”
> 
> “Don’t forget about Tim.”

“Everything is flowing smoothly. Roland Desmond takes the role of Commissioner in a week and with him, we’ll have control of seventy-five percent of the police department.”

“And the other fifteen percent?”

“It’ll take a few years, but they’ll all slowly but surely die in the line of fire or retire.”

Bruce hummed, smiling. “Good,” he praised. “Thank you, Mr. Sionis.

“Of course.” Roman shifted. “And I hope you’ll forgive my questioning, Mr. Wayne…”

Bruce raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“Your eldest.”

“Dick’s connections are the reason we will have the police department. You should be thanking him, rather than suspecting him.”

“Of course, and I am,” Roman promised. “But come now, Mr. Wayne, you can’t deny that you’ve been thinking about what I said at our last meeting.”

“ _ Your son is quite skilled in murder, I will admit. But he’s a child, Mr. Wayne. Sooner or later, he’ll slip up and get caught and it will only be a matter of time before your empire falls from there.” _

_ “Are you threatening me, Mr. Sionis?” _

_ “Not at all. I’m merely advising that you think long and hard about how much power you give Mr. Grayson.” _

Bruce shifted, sighing. “Yes, it has crossed my mind a time or two,” Bruce replied.

Roman waited for elaboration before asking, “And?”

“And Dick is currently going through a set of trials that will determine whether or not he needs to be...removed.”

“But can you bring yourself to put him down if the situation calls for it?”

Bruce’s gaze hardened. “I think it’s time we change the subject, Sionis.”

“Of course, Mr. Wayne.”

………………………………

“Report. Are Tim and Damian still investigating?”

“As far as I know, yes.”

Bruce sighed, pressing his fingertips into his temple. “I didn’t want to do this,” he muttered. “It’s too...messy.” he leaned back in his chair, drumming his fingers on the desk as he stared off at the wall. “But there’s no other choice.” he looked over at Dick. “I need you to kill Tim.”

“How?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“What about Damian?”

“What about him?”

“I know you want Tim’s death to be a warning for him, but what if he finds out? Like walks in or something, I mean.”

Bruce grunted. “I’ll call into the school, let them know Tim’s sick.” he eyed Dick. “Think you can get it done then?”

“Of course.”

“That’ll give us time to get rid of the body before Damian gets home,” Bruce mused.

“What if he asks where Tim is?”

“It’s unlikely he’ll ask for a few days,” Bruce replied. “We’ll just keep telling the school Tim’s sick and I can get a doctor’s note from Leslie.” his eyes hardened. “Under no circumstances are you to breathe a word of Tim until Damian asks, do you understand?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good boy.”

Dick shifted. “Are you going to ask me to kill Damian?”

“It depends on Damian.”

Dick nodded. “Okay.” there was uncharacteristic hesitance in his eyes but Bruce chose to ignore it for the moment, instead changing the subject by asking,

“How’s Jason?”

“Still fevered,” Dick replied. “Confused.”

“Confused?”

“He thinks you did this to him,” Dick replied. “That you switched out his meds.”

Bruce shifted, recognizing the dangerous glint in Dick’s eyes. He needed to be cautious now. One wrong word and he'd be bleeding out on the carpet. “You know I wouldn’t do that, Dick,” he soothed. 

“You just asked me to kill Tim.”

“I would never hurt Jason.”

“How do I know that?”

“Because Jason is yours,” Bruce replied gently. “Jason is all yours, Dick. I’d never hurt him because he’s yours. Okay?”

Dick shifted. “Jason’s confused,” he repeated softly. “He alternates between saying you did this but also he thinks this is from me drugging him at the club.”

“That was weeks ago.”

“He’s confused.”

Bruce sighed. “Go placate him,” he said. “You’re the only one who can ever get through his madness, even the fever induced moments. You should be with him.”

“Okay.”

“And Dick?”

“Yes sir?”

“Don’t forget about Tim.”


	27. Jason's Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You must be careful who you threaten, Master Richard. One of these days, you may threaten the wrong person.”

“It’s getting worse,” Dick remarked, brushing Jason’s hair off his forehead as he looked worriedly over towards Alfred.

“Master Jason has never tolerated nor handled illness well,” he explained. “Similarly, he is worse than you when it comes to taking medication.”

Dick pouted. “It’s yucky,” he mumbled.

“That is why there are pills, Master Richard.”

“I can take pills.”

“You take a sugar pill that quickly dissolves in your mouth,” Alfred corrected. “I don’t believe Master Bruce ever deigned to teach you how to properly swallow _real_ pills.”

Dick just scowled at him before looking back towards Jason, the younger curled on his side and shivering through the fever.

“Jason thinks Bruce did this to him.”

That had Alfred looking over. Not the words themselves but the malice in them.

“Master Richard,” he said, choosing his own words and tone carefully. “You know Master Bruce would never hurt him.”

“That’s what Bruce said.”

“You don’t believe him?”

Dick shifted, looking up at Alfred. “I’m killing Tim tomorrow.”

“Yes, I was informed. I’ve the body bag ready whenever it’s done.”

Dick humed. “You missed my point.”

“Which was?”

“He asked me to kill Tim. How do I know he wouldn’t try and kill Jason?”

“Because Master Bruce has never been one to get his hands dirty.”

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say because Dick narrowed his eyes and asked in a low, threatening tone,

“Did _you_ do this to him?”

Alfred remained impassive. “Do not forget, Master Richard, that I was taking lives long before you took those of your parents.”

“Meaning you’ll kill me.”

“Meaning I will not hesitate to take you down, should I consider you a threat to Master Bruce.”

Dick bared his teeth but reluctantly slumped in his seat, turning his gaze to Jason though there was no denying the angry tick in his jaw. After finishing up his task, Alfred made to head out of the room only to pause in the doorway and turn back towards Dick to add,

“You must be careful who you threaten, Master Richard. One of these days, you may threaten the wrong person.”

Dick ignored him and Alfred left the room without another word said.

…………………………………………..

Jason’s fever held steady at 102 and Dick stayed by his side for the rest of the day.

“He’s convinced himself you’ve poisoned Master Jason,” Alfred explained to Bruce when the billionaire asked after his little murderous son. “And that you’ll be by sometime in the next week to finish him off.”

Bruce grunted. “If the fever doesn’t kill him, a more hands on approach will be necessary,” he agreed.

“And will you be doing that yourself, or would you like me to?”

Bruce leaned back in his seat. “We’ll wait and see what the fever does,” he finally decided. “Either of us finishing Jason off runs the risk of Dick walking in on it.”

“Perhaps, if Master Jason survives, you could take him down to the cave to kill him,” Alfred suggested. “Master Richard has little interest in the cave outside of patrol, it’s highly unlikely that he’ll walk in.”

“There’s still a chance,” Bruce pointed out. “However, there’s a much _lower_ chance.” he hummed. “We’ll go with the cave then.”

“May I ask, Master Bruce, how you plan to control Master Richard after Master Jason’s death?”

“What do you mean?”

“Master Richard may have kept the two of us alive so far and so far has had no interest in taking our lives, but the moment he realizes we’ve killed off Master Jason…”

Bruce chuckled. “You seem to be under the impression that I have any intention of allowing Dick to live.”

“Oh?”

“Dick will not survive past discovering Jason’s body.”


	28. Death In The Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before you proceed to the chapter, I have two warnings.
> 
> 1: There is major character death
> 
> 2: This story has no happy ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These tags have been here since the beginning. You have seen them and you have made the choice to read thus far.
> 
> The only question remains: Will you remain at the end?
> 
> Good luck.

_ “You and Damian need to stop digging around in shit that’s none of your business, okay?” _

_ Tim paled. “D-Dick-” _

_ “I’d really hate to have to kill you in your sleep.” _

………………………………………………

FRIDAY

“Hey Timmy!”

Tim flinched, shoving his chair back from his desk as he turned and stared at Dick in terror.

“W-what do you want?” he demanded, probably a bit harsher than he’d intended.

“Did B tell you why you’re staying home today?”

Tim swallowed thickly. “No,” he replied. “Just said I needed to stay home. Some important project, or whatever.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Dick agreed, nodding as he turned and closed the door behind himself, making no attempt to hide the fact that he was locking the door. “The uh, the project isn’t for you, though.”

“O-oh?” Tim mumbled, pushing his chair back and away when Dick slowly advanced on him.

“I told you to stop, Tim,” Dick said calmly as he stepped forward and grabbed a fistful of Tim’s hair, yanking the third Robin’s head back and drawing a sharp yelp from the younger who’s hands instantly jumped to Dick’s wrist, though the acrobat had always been stronger than him. “I told you and Damian to stop. But you didn’t, so now Bruce had to take things into his own hands.”

“No, no, no, Dick, fuck, please!” Tim shouted, squirming against Dick’s tightening grip when the acrobat produced a wicked knife from behind his back. He attempted to kick out but Dick easily avoided his flailing legs and promptly sat on his lap. “Dick,  _ please _ !”

“Sorry Timmy,” Dick murmured as he lifted the blade. “Bruce’s orders.”

He brought the knife down as Tim screamed.

………………………………………..

“I told you to kill him, not take a bath in his blood.”

Dick shrugged as he walked into Bruce’s study, soaked in crimson in a way that made his eyes stand out all the more bright.

“He’s dead either way, does it matter?”

“You made a mess for Alfred, of course it matters.”

“Most of the blood’s on me, relax. There’s hardly any in the room.”

“Dick, who does the laundry?”

Here, at least, Dick at the decency to look ashamed. “Sorry,” he murmured.

“Don’t apologize to me, apologize to Alfred,” Bruce lectured. “Now go change and shower.”

“Yes sir.”

Bruce watched Dick head for the door before calling, “Dick?”

“Yes.”

“Damian?”

“Dead by the end of the weekend if he doesn’t stop investigating despite Tim’s disappearance.”

“Good.”

“Is that all?”

Bruce was silent for a moment, regarding his bloody son for a moment before replying,

“Good job with Tim. Go sit with Jason. I’m worried. His fever hasn’t gone down in the last few hours.”

“Shouldn’t we take him to the hospital?” Dick asked, frowning.

“Dick, you just killed someone,” Bruce pointed out. “Taking Jason to the hospital runs a risk of someone discovering.”

“Oh.”

“Look, I promise that if Jason doesn’t get better by next week, we’ll take him to the hospital.”

Dick still didn’t look very sure but he nodded nonetheless. “Okay,” he finally replied. “Thanks, B.”

“Of course, Dick. No problem.”

_ One down, three to go _ .


	29. Another Meeting, Two Days Too Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Tim Drake is dead. We can only assume Damian Wayne is next, if he hasn’t been killed already.”

SUNDAY

“Tim Drake is dead.”

Silence fell over the room. “What?” Flash asked quietly.

“He missed school on Friday,” Superman explained. “Which wouldn’t be that big of a concern, except our cameras in Wayne Manor showed the butler carrying several trash bags out of his room.”

“Did we see who killed him?” Aquaman asked.

“No, our cameras didn’t catch it,” Wonder Woman replied.

“Couldn’t it just be trash?” Green Arrow asked, brow furrowed.

“It could have been,” Superman agreed. “But the likelihood of that is incredibly low.”

“Who killed him?”

“Who do you think?”

Silence fell over the room. “What now?” Flash asked quietly.

“We can only assume Damian Wayne is next,” Wonder Woman responded. “If he hasn’t been killed already.”

“So what are you proposing, we break in and steal him away?” Flash asked. “The kid’s more likely to stab us than anything else.”

“Or we run the risk of running into Grayson who’s very obviously trigger happy.”

“Perhaps,” Superman agreed. “But if two of us with superstrength distract him, that gives us time to get to Damian Wayne and get him out of there.”

“And what about Wayne himself?” Green Arrow asked.

“Wonder Woman and I will handle Dick,” Superman replied. “Green Arrow, you take on Wayne.”

“Excuse me?”

“Flash, it’s your job to get Damian Wayne out since you’re the fastest.”

“Deal,” Flash said, nodding.

“We’re only going to have one shot at this,” Wonder Woman reminded them. “We do not have room for mistake.”

………………………………………….

ONE DAY EARLIER

“Father?”

Bruce grunted, looking up to find Damian standing in the doorway of the study.

“Damian,” he greeted. “What is it?”

“Where’s Timothy? I haven’t seen him since…” Damian frowned. “Thursday.”

“He requested his own personal mission like Dick has,” Bruce explained. “So I gave him one.”

“I thought he said you told him he needed more training,” Damian said cautiously.

“More training for city related missions,” Bruce replied. “This is a much smaller, far less significant mission. One with little to no consequence if he fails. It’s just to see if he can handle it.”

“I...see.”

Bruce shifted, expression carefully void of any sort of emotion. “You don’t believe me.”

Damian swallowed thickly. “Drake believed Grayson killed his parents.”

“Dick didn’t.”

“Grayson wouldn’t do it on his own, no,” Damian agreed. “But he would if you’d order it.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Grayson told us to stop investigating. What we were investigating was-”

“Damian.” Damian snapped his mouth shut. Bruce sighed, regarding him. “Go to your room.”

“Father-”

“Now.”

“I’m not done discussing this!”

“I am,” Bruce snapped, jerking to his feet. Damian took a small step back and Bruce sighed. “Tell you what, Damian. Come back tomorrow and I’ll explain everything.”

Damian stared at him skeptically. “Everything?” he asked.

“Yes,” Bruce confirmed.

Damian pressed his lips together. “Fine.”


	30. Another One Bites The Dust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before you proceed to the chapter, I have two warnings.
> 
> 1: There is major character death
> 
> 2: This story has no happy ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These tags have been here since the beginning. You have seen them and you have made the choice to read thus far.
> 
> The only question remains: Will you remain at the end?
> 
> Good luck.

Staring down at his katana, Damian secured the weapon to his side before heading for his father’s study. He wasn’t stupid, he knew his father had had something if not everything to do with Drake’s death and he knew Grayson had no doubt been the one to carry it out.

And he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that unless he brought a weapon to this meeting, he would not make it out alive. He took a deep breath, hesitating as he lifted his hand to knock on his father’s study.

He knew he would have to fight from the moment he walked into that room. He knew his father would merely sit and watch and knew that Grayson was no doubt hidden somewhere within.

The only question was, would Damian be able to bring himself to kill the acrobat, if it came down to it? Him or me was the age old question Damian found himself facing and while it may have been an easy choice to make, back in the league, it was so much harder to face now that the ‘him’ in this situation was a brother who had raised him better than his own mother or father had.

But no. Grayson wasn’t his brother, was he? He’d never been his brother. The only one Grayson had ever truly considered  _ brother _ had been Todd, hasn’t it? Although perhaps the word ‘pet’ was a better one for how Grayson viewed the second Robin…

Shaking himself out of his thoughts and gripping the hilt of his katana, Damian stood straight as possible, reaching out to confidently knock on the door.

“Come in, Damian.”

Damian pushed the door open, hoping the way he went tense wasn’t visible when he spied Grayson seated on the edge of father’s deks.

“Father,” Damian greeted, pleased his voice came out even. “Grayson.”

“Hi Dami!” Grayson chirped. Damian nodded, trying not to relax just because Grayson didn’t have any visible weapon on him. Because just because it didn’t look like Grayson had a weapon didn’t mean he didn’t.

_ Does Grayson even  _ need _ a weapon to kill _ ? Damian thought before turning back to his father.

“You said you would tell me the truth,” Damian said firmly.

“I did,” his father confirmed. “What do you want to know?”

“You said you’d tell me everything.”

His father sighed, leaning back in his seat as he looked up at Grayson. “Dick.” he said nothing more and yet Grayson nodded and hopped off the desk. Damian went stiff, backing up and beginning to draw his katana as Grayson approached, only to freeze in confusion when Grayson moved past him towards the door.

Then whirled around at the sound of the lock clicking into place. “Grayson?” he asked cautiously.

“Here’s the truth about everything,” his father said calmly, as Damian and Grayson regarded one another in silence, Damian tense and ready to fight with Grayson’s expression was carefully blank. “Dick killed Tim’s parents. Dick killed Tim. And now, Dick is going to kill  _ you _ .”

Damian sneered, pulling his sword out and brandishing it in front of himself as he declared,

“Not if I kill him first.”

………………………………………………..

As Damian lay on the floor, gasping and gurgling and choking on his own blood, Bruce mused that perhaps he should have told Dick to make it as quick a death as possible. Then again, it would have been hard considering how violently Damian had fought back and as Bruce mused back over the ensuing fight, he had to be honest in that he hadn’t expected Dick to win.

He looked up at Dick who was staring down at Damian, the young child’s katana in his hand and soaked in Damian’s blood up to his elbows. He wondered how much of the blood was really Damian’s because he was sure the young child had sliced Dick up quite badly. He continued to move his gaze towards Dick’s face, sighing when he caught sight of his eyes.

There were tears in his eyes. 

“Dick.”

“We could have trained him,” Dick mumbled, looking up at Bruce. His voice broke as he went on. “We didn’t have to kill him. He’s been trained since birth to be an assassin-”

“He wouldn't have taken my orders.”

“But he would have taken  _ mine _ !” Dick stressed, placing a bloody hand on his chest. “I could have trained him, B. I could have taught him to listen and made sure he killed exactly who you wanted!”

“He would have kept investigating.”

“I wouldn’t have let him.”

“Dick-”

“He’s a  _ child _ , Bruce, and-”

“ _ Dick _ -”

“I could have worked with him and made him understand that he had to listen to me or else-”

“Richard, that’s  _ enough _ !” Bruce roared as he jerked to his feet, Dick stumbling back with a gasp, eyes wide as he stared at him. The two remained locked at the eyes before Bruce sighed and slumped back down into his chair. “Go get Alfred,” he ordered, placing a hand over his eyes. “Get him to clean up in here.”

“You didn’t have to kill him.”

“ _ Now _ , Dick.” Bruce lifted his gaze, eyes hard and piercing, towards the acrobat. “And clean yourself off.”

Dick stared at him before swallowing thickly and nodding, barely preventing himself from looking down at Damian - now silent at last - as he turned and headed towards the door. After unlocking it, he pulled it open only to pause and turn back around.

“If you lay a hand on Jason,” he whispered. “I  _ will _ kill you.”

“Go, Dick.”

Dick went. 

Bruce watched silently and waited until the door closed with a click to huff, brushing a hand through his hair before sighing and turning his chair to face the hidden batcave entrance behind him.

“We’ll give him time, I think,” Bruce mused to himself. “A few weeks to get over Damian’s death and convince him I won’t kill Jason. After that, we’ll need to move exceptionally quickly.”

He sighed, turning back to his desk and opening up his laptop. He had a few emails to deal with and several meetings early the next day that he wasn’t particularly looking for.

……………………………………….

Upstairs, in Jason’s room, Dick stood over his sleeping brother - still fevered - covered in blood and clutching a blade that he raised over Jason’s throat.

He stood like that, poised to strike, for several long minutes before letting out a quiet whimper and letting his arm drop, careful to avoid even nicking Jason with the sword.

“I can’t kill you so he won’t,” Dick whispered, reaching out towards Jason’s face though hesitating when he spied the blood staining his skin red, the crimson color never having made him sick before though now all it did was remind him of what he’d just done to Damian.

What he’d almost done to Jason.

“I can’t kill you so he won’t,” he repeated quietly, pulling Jason’s desk chair over to the bed and taking a seat. “But I swear, Jason, I will die myself before I let him lay a hand on you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually made myself sad with this one


	31. A Gun or A Knife?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Just how long have you been planning to kill him, Mr. Wayne?”
> 
> “Alfred has always been prepared to take him down, should it be necessary, from the moment Dick began working as my hit man. It was only after we took Jason in that I had a way to control him.”

“I just saw on the news how your two youngest died in a plane accident,” Roman remarked the moment he and Bruce were seated in the latter's office. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“We’re not here to talk about that, Mr. Sionis,” Bruce said, too tired to deal with Roman’s typical attempt at comradery. 

He hadn’t slept well the night before, knowing Dick was somewhere loose in the manor with a blade - neither he nor Alfred had seen him since Damian’s murder but they had found red hand prints on Jason’s doorknob and desk chair, indicating Dick had been there at home point - and so he’d slept with one eye open and a gun under his pillow, despite his hatred of them, just in case the acrobat tried to off him in his sleep.

“Of course, please forgive me,” Roman said. “I imagine if I had suddenly lost two children, I wouldn’t want to talk about it either.”

“Mr. Sionis, you’re the one who scheduled this appointment, quite abruptly might I add, and yet I don’t believe you’ve gotten to the point you were so desperate to discus,” Bruce drawled.

“Of course,” Roman said before clearing his throat. “Last night, fourteen of my best men were brutally slaughtered.”

“I don’t understand why this is a concern of yours.”

“I think you do.”

Silence fell over the office as the two stared one another down before Bruce tilted his head to the side and asked,

“You think Dick killed them.”

“I don’t  _ think _ , Mr. Wayne, I know,” Roman replied. “I saw the security footage. And judging by the red he was absolutely  _ soaked _ in before he started taking their lives, I daresay he took several others before coming for my men. My question, Mr. Wayne, is this.” Roman clasped his hands together atop the desk leaning forward. “Why?”

“I had nothing to do with this,” Bruce said firmly. “Dick acted on his own.”

“I warned you to keep that boy on a leash, Wayne,” Roman growled. “The moment you told me about him eleven years ago, I warned you that while having a child murderer would help your empire, if he wasn’t on a leash-”

“Dick failed the tests I told you about,” Bruce finally snapped, cutting Roman off hotly. “He is compromised and no longer trustworthy.”

“So you’re going to kill him.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“I’d invite you, but unfortunately it will need to be done quickly,” Bruce replied. “I will only have so long to take him out before he fights back.”

“You’re going to show him something he won’t like.”

“I’m going to kill Jason and then Dick,” Bruce explained. “Alfred will be on standby with a rifle, should I be unable to subdue DIck on my own, bu I’d prefer to be the one to take his life.”

“Gun or knife?”

“Excuse me?”

“Will you be using a gun or a knife to kill him?” Roman asked, no longer angry about his men but rather intrigued now that he learned the one responsible would be dead soon. “I’ve seen what that boy is capable of and let me tell you that not even bleeding out will stop him from killing you if that’s what he’s gunning for.”

“It will depend upon how Dick reacts to Jason’s death,” Bruce replied. “If he reacts with immediate violence, a quick death will be necessary.”

“But you want him to suffer.”

“Yes.”

Roman shifted, chuckling. “Just how long have you been planning to kill him, Mr. Wayne?”

“Alfred has always been prepared to take him down, should it be necessary, from the moment Dick began working as my hit man,” Bruce replied calmly. “It was only after we took Jason in that I had a way to  _ control _ him.”

“Jason’s death with either leave him catatonic or blind with fury,” Roman remarked. “Let’s hope for the former, shall we?”

“Yes. Let’s.”


	32. Dick's Distraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before you proceed to the chapter, I have two warnings.
> 
> 1: There is major character death
> 
> 2: This story has no happy ending  
> Notes:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These tags have been here since the beginning. You have seen them and you have made the choice to read thus far.
> 
> The only question remains: Will you remain at the end?
> 
> Good luck.

It was obvious Dick needed a distraction from Damian’s death. The problem was, if Bruce so much as  _ suggested _ something that even remotely involved the acrobat leaving Jason’s side, he was pretty sure Dick would kill him, no questions asked.

So he spent weeks trying to think of a way to get Dick out of the house while also convincing the acrobat that Jason was safe. The way came a month after Damian’s death and perfectly coincided to an out of the country month long business trip Bruce had to go on.

“Dick, may I talk to you?” Bruce asked one night after patrol. Dick stiffened before slowly turning towards Bruce and as soon as the billionaire saw the murderous rage in those blue eyes, he easily backtracked and soothed, “I’m not asking you to kill Jason.”

“Good.”

“Do you remember Roy Harper? Red Arrow?”

Dick blinked, frowning. “Yes?” he replied.

“You were close when you were kids, right?”

“Until he saw me kill someone,” Dick said as reply. 

“He stopped being your friend then, didn’t he?”

“He tried to find a way to have me taken away from you, thought it was your fault,” Dick replied, tone empty. “Why are you asking?”

“He’s engaged to Koriand’r, isn’t he?” Bruce went on, ignoring his question. “Starfire?”

“Yes.”

“They both turned against you when you were a kid, didn’t they?”

Dick narrowed his eyes. “ _ Yes _ .”

Bruce smiled. “How would you like to kill them for me?”

………………………………………

“That was Dick,” Roy said, having just gotten off the phone with the acrobat.

“What did he need?” Kori asked where she was seated on the couch. “It’s late, is he alright?”

“He asked if he could come over and talk,” Roy replied, taking a seat next to her. “He sounded really upset.”

“I saw in the newspapers that Timothy and Damian died recently,” Kori said softly. “Perhaps-”

“No, that’s not why he’s upset, I guarantee you Dock’s the one that killed them,” Roy cut in. “It was no accident.”

Kori pressed her lips together. “Perhaps we should send Lian to Artemis tonight. Before Richard arrives.”

Roy frowned. “What do you mean? You’re not seriously suggesting-”

“I’m not suggesting he’ll kill Lian,” Kori soothed. “I’m suggesting he might kill us.”

………………………………………

“Do you need anything, Dick?” Roy asked once the acrobat was seated on his couch, looking more miserable than Roy could ever remember seeing the acrobat in all the years they’d known one another. “A drink, or-”

“Did you see the news?” Dick mumbled. “About Tim and Damian?”

“We did,” Kori replied softly. “We’re sorry for your loss.”

“I killed them,” Dick whispered, finally lifting his head and surprising Roy and Kori by his tear filled eyes. “Tim I didn’t mind. I’ve never….he’s never…” he swallowed thickly. “But Damian….”

“Dick, I’m so sorry,” Roy murmured.

“I think he’s going to kill Jason,” Dick went on. “I only came because he’s out of the country. Because I know he can’t hurt Jason and I’ve been watching him so I know he hasn’t asked Alfred to do it for him.” he placed one hand into his lap, letting his too big hoodie sleeve fall over the other as he curled his hands into fists, dropping his gaze back down to his knees as he added, “Bruce is the one who fucked with Jason’s meds. He’s the reason Jay was so sick. He already tried to kill him once, I  _ know _ he’s trying to kill him again.”

“Dick…” Roy reached out, placing one of his hands over Dick’s. “If there’s anything you need. Anything we can do. You can tell us. We’re here for you, just say the word.”

“Thanks Roy,” Dick said with a smile.

Then he pulled a knife out of his hoodie sleeve and stabbed it hilt deep into Roy’s chest.


	33. Tying Up Loose Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I once watched that boy cry because he thought you left him behind after a League meeting.”
> 
> “He was thirteen.”
> 
> “The time I’m referencing was eight months ago.”

“Am I missing anything?” Bruce mused late one night after patrol, seated in his study as he leaned over his notes. “The Gordons, Tiger, Tim, Damian, Roy Harper, Starfire…” he sighed, leaning back and tapping his pen against his lips as he thought. “The only two loose ends left are Dick and Jason and I’m dealing with them next week.”

_ I’m missing something. _ He mused as he stood and made his way up the stairs to bed.  _ The only question is, what is it? _

“Hello Bruce.”

_ Ah. That’s what I’m missing _ . Bruce thought as he turned around.  _ The League. _

“Clark,” Bruce returned calmly as he regarded Superman standing behind him, not dressed in uniform though that didn’t mean anything with the alien. “I didn’t know Superman broke and entered. This is a private residence.”

“Dick let us is.”

“Dick is spending the night with Wally West,” Bruce replied. “Try again.”

“Jason-”

“Jason is spending the night with Dick and Wally West,” Bruce cut in, a smirk on his face though it fell quickly. “What do you want?”

“We need to talk about what happened with Tim and Damian.”

“Their plane went down and they died,” Bruce snapped. “The engine failed.”

“It was a private jet.”

“You don’t think I’m aware? Believe me, Kent, I am not going to rest until I find out who messed with that plane.”

Clark sighed. “I don’t want to fight, Bruce,” he soothed. “I just want to talk.”

“About an accident-”

“Tim and Damian’s deaths were no accidents!” Clark shouted, cutting Bruce off who felt a flicker of rage cross over his face before he stamped it down. Clark took a deep breath to calm himself before he went on. “I know you had Dick kill them.”

“They’re his brothers,” Bruce said. “Dick would never kill them. Not someone he cares about.”

“Then who did kill them?” Clark snapped. “Cause I know it wasn’t you. You never have liked getting your hands dirty and there’s certainly no way it was Jason.”

“And what makes you think it wasn’t Jason?” Bruce asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Clark blinked at him. “I once watched that boy cry because he thought you left him behind after a League meeting.”

“He was thirteen.”

“The time I’m referencing was eight months ago.”

Bruce sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Clark,” he finally growled out.

“I want you to tell me who killed Tim and Damian.”

“Why?” Bruce demanded. “What change will it make?” he scoffed. “You want someone to blame, is that it? You think I’m involved but you don’t want to place the blame on me unless I’m the one that directly carried it out.”

“You’ve never carried out a single murder in your life,” Clark told him. “That’s how I know you didn’t do it. DIck, however, has been killing for  _ fun _ since he was eight. Right now, he’s the top of my list of suspects.”

“And yet you’re here talking to me.”

“Hoping you’ll tell me the truth.”

Realization dawned. “You're scared of him,” Bruce murmured. “You’re afraid of Dick, afraid he’ll kill you if you confront him, and that’s the real reason you’re talking to me.”

“Please tell me the truth, Bruce.”

“What will you do if it is Dick?” Bruce asked. “What will you do if it isn’t?”

“Just tell me, Bruce. Please.”

Bruce did not reply.


	34. A Gun Is Too Loud, Pills Too Slow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before you proceed to the chapter, I have two warnings.
> 
> 1: There is major character death
> 
> 2: This story has no happy ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These tags have been here since the beginning. You have seen them and you have made the choice to read thus far.
> 
> The only question remains: Will you remain at the end?
> 
> Good luck.

“A gun is too loud and might get Dick’s attention. Trying to suffocate him or strangle him might give Jason a chance to fight back and drugging takes too long and gives Jason time to run to Dick.” Bruce heaved a sigh, propping his chin up on his fist as he looked up to Alfred, the butler standing on the other side of the desk and watching him calmly. “Suggestions?”

“It depends, sir, on how quick you wish his dead to be.”

“We are working with the risk of Dick walking in at any moment, Jason’s death needs to be fast and silent.”

“Perhaps stabbing, sir,” Alfred offered. “In the right place, he will bleed out before Master Richard would ever have the chance ot discover something was amis. For example, severing the carotid artery results in death within five to fifteen seconds. If you wish for Master Jason to suffer, a stab towards the abdomen can take up to five minutes for death.”

Bruce hummed. “We’ll go with that one,” he decided. “I can stab him in the abdomen, make sure he knows he’s not getting out of this, then slit his throat.”

“Is it important he knows, sir?”

“Tim and Damian knew they were dying before Dick killed them, it’s only fair Jason get the same,” Bruce replied.

“Will Master Richard get the same?”

“I suppose it depends upon what the sight of Jason’s corpse does for him.”

“Of course, sir.”

“If Dick moves towards me with the intent to kill me, you will kill him first.”

“My duty is to protect you at all cost, Master Bruce,” Alfred assured. “Even if that means from your own son.”

Bruce smiled. “What would I do without you, Alfred?”

“Starve to death, I would imagine.”

………………………………………………

“Master Richard? Would you mind helping me with an assignment?”

Dick looked up from where he and Jason were seated on Dick’s bed, the acrobat’s laptop between them as they watched whatever mundane programming Jason had chosen for that evening.

“Sure Alf,” Dick replied, turning and pressing a kiss to Jason’s forehead, patting the second Robin’s head as he bounced to his feet. “I’ll be back soon, baby Jay.”

“Okay.”

“Is Master Jason alright?” Alfred asked as he led Dick towards the kitchen where he planned to request aid in putting some of the dishes away, his job to keep Dick distracted just long enough for Bruce to get Jason down to the cave and slit his throat.

“He’s just tired,” Dick replied. “He hasn’t been feeling well lately. Nightmares, you know?”

“He hasn’t been taking his medication, has he?”

“Not since the fever.”

“And I don’t imagine you’ve helped much?”

Dick looked away for a moment. “I’m still not convinced Bruce didn’t have something to do with switching Jay’s meds,” he replied. “Bruce is the one who picks up Jay’s medication in the first place, how can I be sure the meds he brings back are the right one?”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, Master Richard, but I was under the impression Master Jason was the paranoid one.”

Dick scowled.

………………………………..

“Jason? May I talk to you?”

Jason looked up to find Bruce standing in Dick’s doorway, dressed in his usual black long sleeved shirt and pants.

“Um…” Jason looked around before standing and walking over. “Sure.”

“Do you mind joining me in the cave?” Bruce asked. “I want to discuss something with you before patrol tonight.”

“With me?” Jason asked as he followed Bruce through the manor to the billionaire’s study where the hidden entrance to the cave lay hidden. “Why not Dick?”

“Well, this job needs a little more...delicacy in order to be performed,” Bruce explained as they headed down to the cave, Jason shivering in the cold air. “Dick is good for the more violent projects but this requires someone who knows how to look for the smallest mistake.”

“You’re taking advantage of my paranoia,” Jason murmured.

“Am I?”

“Dick said you do that.”

With his back to Jason, the second Robin didn’t see the irritated tick in Bruce’s jaw. “Did he?”

“Can I ask a question?” Jason asked as they got down to the base of the stairs, heading over towards the computer.

“Of course.” Jason stopped in place and once he realized the second wasn’t following, Bruce stilled as well and turned. “Jason?”

“Dick thinks...Dick said…” Jason sucked in a breath, squaring his shoulders and obviously fighting back his paranoia as he declared, “Dick said you changed out my pills and caused my fever to try and kill me.”

“Did he?” Bruce asked.

“Yes….” Jason swallowed thickly. “So?”

“So?”

“Did you? Switch out my pills to...try and kill me?”

Bruce hummed. “Yes.”

The glint of the knife was the last thing Jason saw and the only warning he got before a hand was over his mouth and pain exploded through his abdomen.


	35. End of An Era

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before you proceed to the chapter, I have two warnings.
> 
> 1: There is major character death
> 
> 2: This story has no happy ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These tags have been here since the beginning. You have seen them and you have made the choice to read thus far.

“Okay Jay, I’m...back…” Dick trailed off when he returned to his room to find his bed empty of his only little brother left. Frowning, Dick looked up and down the hall before stepping into his room, looking under the covers, in the closet, in the attached bathroom and under the bed.

“Jay?” he called, standing in the middle of the room and filling something like confusion and fear coiling in his stomach. “Are we playing hide and seek?”

He swept the room once more before heading out into the hall, checking in Jason’s room, Tim’s old room, and Damian’s room, coming up empty handed on every turn.

“Alfred!” he called, rushing down the stairs and into the kitchen only to find the room void of the butler who had just been there a mere moment ago. Eyes wide and terrror taking over, Dick turned and sprinted up to Bruce’s study. “Bruce!”

He threw open the doors only to find that room empty as well. Tangling his hands in his hair, Dick backed away and ran through the entire manor. Something was wrong, Jay wouljd never just  _ leave _ without telling him and now Alfred and Bruce were missing too-

Dick stopped suddenly, just outside the library. Jason was missing and now Alfred and Bruce were missing too.

Alfred and Bruce were missing too.

He narrowed his eyes.

_ Bruce _ was missing too. Abandoning his search, Dick returned to his room and searched through his dresser drawers before unleashing the knife from a hidden compartment not even Bruce knew of. Dick had constructed it shortly after he’d arrived in the manor and it was utterly empty save for one, very important thing.

The same knife he had used to break his parents’ wires. Gripping the weapon firmly and knowing there was only one place left in the whole of the manor that Bruce could possibly be cowering away in, Dick stood and made his way out of his room, all other emotions sliding away into nothing but icy calm.

If Bruce touched Jason, Dick was going to kill him.

Slowly and painfully. And maybe he’d bring him back to life just to kill him again. He returned to Bruce’s study, slowly looking around the room and keeping his ears open for an attack from behind as he walked over and input the code for the hidden entrance, waiting patiently for it to slide open before he began descending the stairs.

He couldn’t hear voices but there was no doubt in his mind that Bruce was down there. That Alfred was down there.

That  _ Jason _ was down there.

He shifted his grip on the knife, looking down at it and pausing on the steps to allow himself a brief smile as he recalled the people he’d killed with it. Not many had been graced with this blade inside of their bodies. Not even his own parents had felt it slide into their flesh. No, only those horrible monsters who had called themselves baby Jay’s parents had felt it rip into them and watched as it spilled their guts and blood across the carpet.

Jason had been Dick’s from the beginning. He had killed his little wing’s  _ parents _ and when he’d turned eighteen, Dick had taken legal guardianship of Jason from Bruce. Even before that, Jason had been Dick’s. Bruce had promised and Bruce had promised he would never ever kill Jason. He would never ever make Dick kill Jason.

But promises were so easily broken. After all, Dick had once promised Bruce a similar thing, the first night he’d donned his Robin mask.

He’d sworn to never raise a hand to the billionaire and until that very moment, it had been a promise he had been sure he would keep.

But if Jay’s life was on the line, Dick would break his promise to Bruce in a heartbeat.

He’d only continued down a few more steps before freezing at the sight of the body crumpled in the middle of the cave, at the sight of the blood pooling around the figure.

His heart stopped. He knew that leather jacket. He’d given it to baby Jay for his sixteenth birthday to try and help his little brother be more confident.

“Jay?” Dick called, tightening his grip on the knife and struggling to keep an eye on his surroundings as he slowly approached the body, kneeling down in the cold pool of blood and reaching out, hand shaking, before tenderly grabbing the shoulder and rolling the body over.

Dimly he heard his knife clatter to the ground but he only had eyes for the cold, pale face of his little brother. Only had eyes for those sightless, teal eyes. His hands trembled as he slowly reached out to frame Jason’s face, taking in the blood on his cheeks, the slit throat, the soaked shirt.

“Baby Jay?” he whispered, voice cracking as he moved one hand to the back of Jason’s neck, pulling his brother in close and wrapping his other arm around Jason’s torso, giving him a gentle shake. “Jay?”

His brother did not answer and Dick felt tears well in his eyes, one falling to splash on Jason’s cheek and cause a dot of blood to become watery.

“N-no,” Dick whimpered, pulling Jason into his chest. “No, no, no!” he screamed, words at first before they tapered off into an incoherent sound, never stopping until his throat burned and he bent his head to bury his face in his brother’s raven locks.

“No, Jay,” he whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I should have protected you. I should have-”

He cut himself off, going still, when he heard the click of a safety being removed, felt the chill of a gun’s barrel against the back of his neck.

“What have you done?” he whispered, slowly lifting his head and feeling the gun shift to allow him the movement. He looked up, the batmobile close enough that he was able to see Bruce’s reflection, the man standing tall behind him and his expression empty as he held a gun to the back of Dick’s head. “What did you do to Jay?”

“He knew too much, Dick,” Bruce replied calmly. “Originally, I  _ was _ going to just kill  _ you _ but...Jason can be a problem, on his own. I thought that perhaps, without you, he would fight back. He would struggle.”

Dick swallowed thickly, pulling Jason in closer. “You killed him.”

“I did. Slowly, too. I needed him to understand what was happening.” Dick narrowed his eyes, slowly turning his head but freezing when the barrel shifted to grind into the back of his head. “Don’t. Move.”

“You took him away from me,” Dick growled. “He was the only family I had left and you took him from me!”

“That’s not true, Dick. I was your family too.”

“You haven’t been my family since you made me kill Dami.”

Bruce clicked his tongue. “His death is your fault.”

Dick stilled, looking back to Bruce’s reflection on the batmobile as he quietly asked,

“What?”

“I didn’t want Damian,” Bruce explained calmly. “I didn’t want Jason, either. But you were so  _ insistent _ that we keep them-”

“You could have said no-”

Bruce laughed loudly, the sound so sudden that Dick flinched and dragged Jason a bit closer, trembling when he felt his brother’s head loll weak against his arm.

“Said no?” Bruce asked. “You’re  _ insane _ , Dick! If there was ever a moment I didn’t give you what you wanted, you threw a fit! A fucking murder spree!” he sighed. “You were my good little assassin for so long, but…after Damian, I knew I couldn’t keep you. You were unstable. You wouldn’t listen anymore. You were so sure I was going to kill Jason that you never wanted to do anything I said for fear I was going to slaughter him when you turned your back.”

“So you used Alfred.”

“I did.”

“He promised.”

“He lied.”

Dick swallowed thickly. “Where is he? Alfred?”

“Waiting in the wings. Should you try and attack me, kill me, Alfred had been ordered to take that final shot.”

“But you’d rather do it yourself.”

“Yes.”

Dick gave a weak laugh. “Why?” he asked, knowing his sounded crazy. But he  _ was _ crazy, so what did it matter? “You never wanted to get your hands dirty for anything. Always made me do  _ everything _ . So why now? Why finally pull the trigger yourself?”

“Because if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”

A gunshot echoed through the cave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it. Yes, I know you're pissed. No, I will not be writing a sequel where they secretly leave.
> 
> Please scream at me in the comments and thank you for lasting through this last month with me to get to this point.
> 
> No, I will not ever post a fanfiction where I update once a night because, shocker, this was incredibly hard to keep up with


End file.
